


Green Gloves

by mumjean



Series: Twist of Fate [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Binge Drinking, Bisexual Character, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Denial of Feelings, F/M, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Growing Up Together, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Kim Seokjin | Jin is Bad at Feelings, Kim Taehyung | V is Bad at Feelings, Kissing, M/M, Multi, Other, Pining, Pokemon AU, Pokemon Journey, Sharing a Bed, Teenage Drama, Underage Drinking, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, eventually, everythings a mess, ignoring your feelings, its a bush party, jin works at the pokemon daycare, jisoo and jin are the most Chaotic pair i love them so much, jisoo is all knowing and caught in the middle, kind of, ohhhh they are so bad with their feelings, probably, sweet little babies, taejin is so CUUUTE, the ages are kind of messed up but yolo, the one that got away, there is a highschool party, there is a lot of cussing lmfao, these tags are a mess lmfao, these tags are a mess sorry, theyre both clueless, this is better than the summary makes it out to be, yay bisexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-01-06 01:28:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21218288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mumjean/pseuds/mumjean
Summary: falling out of touch with all myfriends are somewhere, getting wastedi hope they're staying glued togetheri have arms for them-green gloves, the national--------taehyung and seokjin grow up together, until they grow apart.seokjin leaves on his journey to conquer the sinnoh pokemon league.taehyung is left to deal with his feelings alone.(alternatively: the taejin pokemon au that nobody asked for)(it's better than the summary makes it out to be, promise)





	1. Nothing Good Ever Happens at the Goddamn Thirsty Crow

**Author's Note:**

> So, first of all, hi hello! Thank you for reading this.
> 
> Initially this was going to be a one-shot drabble type of thing to help me develop some characters for another fic I'm planning, but then I kind of fell in love with Taejin and things escalated from there.
> 
> So, here it is. I hope you like it. :)
> 
> Follow me on Twitter 
> 
> (Sorry for any mistakes, this is definitely not beta'd and definitely my first-ever fic so please bear with me!!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which taehyung finds himself in a crowded bar and sees a familiar face where he least expects it.

> _"on the road again_
> 
> _for months at a time_
> 
>   
_doesn't take half that long for men about town to forget what's mine"_  
  
_-nothing good ever happens at the goddamn thirsty crow (father john misty)_

* * *

_Jubilife City, Sinnoh_

_Present Day_

* * *

The atmosphere in the dimly lit bar is nothing short of electric.

The place is packed full of college students, the air reeks of stale alcohol, and everyone in the bar is buzzing- it’s hard not to be buzzing when you’re about to watch history unfold.

The Sinnoh Pokemon League is known to be one of, if not the most difficult regional league to conquer. 

Sinnoh’s environment is unpredictable- one moment you’ll be enjoying the sun and a cool breeze, then the next route over will trap you in a blizzard. Many inexperienced trainers fall victim to the harsh conditions, unable to make it into a PokeCenter in time.

The gym leaders are all well-trained and do not dare to go easy on a challenger, no matter how charming they may be. Their pokemon squads are ruthless, conditioned to perfection, and unafraid of any direction a battle may go.

The skills of the Elite Four and the Champion, Cynthia, need no explanation. They have proven their ability time and time again, stopping those who have conquered the deadly terrain along with their pokemon companions from truly becoming the very best of the region without any trouble.

Until now.

Taehyung sits at the bar alone with his fifth (or maybe seventh) beer of the night in hand, eyes glued to the TV screen.

“This is history in the making, folks!” the announcer shouts, unable to hide the exasperation in his voice, “Both the Champion and the fearless challenger are on their last remaining pokemon!”

Taehyung nervously picks at the label of his beer, bouncing his leg- a nervous habit he has always had. Suddenly, he feels a hand come down on his shoulder. Looking beside him, he finds the hand attached to a very, very drunk man.

“Whattaya think buddy, want to place a bet?” Drunk Man slurs, a hiccup punctuating his sentence,

“D’you think Cynthia will keep her title? Or d’you think that….. what’s his name again, Barry? Kim SungJin…?”

“Kim _Seokjin_,” Taehyung corrects the man, unable to hide the bitterness in his tone.

Drunk man shrugs,

“Whatever his name is, d’you think he’ll beat her?”

Taehyung sighs, lifting his drink to his mouth and finishes it, hoping Drunk Man would take the hint that this conversation was over.

Drunk Man did not take the hint. Drunk Man continues,

“I sure hope not. Cynthia’s hot. She got it going on, man,” Drunk Man’s hand finds itself on Tae’s shoulder once more, and then he disappears.

Taehyung feels… _numb._ It’s not what he was expecting to feel in this moment. There’s no excitement, there’s no happiness, no pride… There’s just… numbness.

It’s bittersweet, having to watch someone you loved-no, _love_, in present tense, achieve their wildest dreams right before your eyes from the screen of a television in a dingy bar instead of being right there beside them, smiling, crying tears of pride and love.

Somewhere, deep in Taehyung’s heart, it hurts. It shouldn’t, but it does.

They hadn’t spoken in years, let alone seen each other. It shouldn’t hurt. He knew this is how it was going to be.

He's known for a long while.

He knew he would have to settle- for love, for his career, for almost everything in his life. He knew he would have to settle for watching him on a TV in a crowded bar, surrounded by strangers.

Taehyung sighs once more and orders another drink.

He’s drunk and he knows he should stop, knows he should mix in a water, but right now he’s beyond caring. Right now he just wants to escape.

For a second, he closes his eyes and wishes for something he knows will never come true:

_Please, take me back to where it all began. _

_Please, take me back to Kim Seokjin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey all, it's me, mads!  
I'm writing this after finishing up chapter 7, i just wanted to let yall know that i might be rewriting the first couple of chapters since I've finally found my ~voice~ as a writer and I'm not really happy with how the earlier chapters turned out.  
but also who knows, i might leave them.  
anyways the chapters definitely get longer and better written as they go along (or at least i think they get better) so if the first couple chapters don't thrill you, keep at it lol


	2. Such Great Heights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which taehyung just had the best day ever at kindergarten.  
so his mother takes him to the park to celebrate.  
fate does it's thing, and taehyung's life changes forever after an accident at the park.

_and I have to speculate_

_that God Himself did make_

_us into corresponding shapes_

_like puzzle pieces from the clay_

  
_ -such great heights (the postal service)_

* * *

_Solaceon Town, Sinnoh_

_ 16 years ago_

* * *

“and then, Jihyo and I got to be line leaders, Eomma! It was so fun!”

Jiwon smiled down at her son as he babbled about his second day of kindergarten, admiring the way his honey-brown eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement and joy. She hoped that he would never lose that love for life or being able to find joy in simplicity.

“I’m so glad you had a good day at school, my sweet. How about we celebrate and go to the park? I’ll even push you on the swings, how does that sound?”

The little boy practically squealed with excitement, hugging his mother’s leg.

“Yes!! Let’s go to the park, Eomma! I love the swings!” “Alright Taehyung-ah, my little bear, let’s go put our shoes on,” Jiwon beamed, walking down the hallway with Taehyung’s small hand in hers.

Taehyung loved the swings- every single thing about them. He loved the feeling of flying through the air, the freedom it brought him while sailing through the air. He loved the cool rush of wind blowing against his cheeks, messing up his hair. He loved the calm he found at the peak of the upswing, how the world felt like it stood still just for that moment, before falling back down. A true adrenaline junkie in the making.

As soon as the park was in his sights, Taehyung took off running as fast as his 5 year old legs could carry him, leaving his mother behind.

He couldn’t wait to plop down on the seat of the swing and get going. Little legs took him across the golden-yellow sand to the far side of the park, framed perfectly by the forest behind it.

Taehyung’s face fell immediately when he looked up and _saw_.

Two kids.

One boy, one girl.

On the swings, swinging.

No room for Taehyung.

He was _outraged._ He had just had such a wonderful day, only to have it ruined by these two _meanies_ taking up the entire swing set!

Unbelievable. Taehyung’s lips form a pout, and before he can stop himself, he’s marching up to the two children who have not yet taken notice of him.

It did not occur to Taehyung (with him being a six-year-old and all) that the two children were facing the other way and could not see him. It definitely didn’t occur to Taehyung that he probably shouldn’t be lurking behind the swing set when people are, you know, swinging, until-

**WHACK!**

Dainty legs met dainty kindergartener’s face, and the little boy went tumbling backwards into the warm sand.

Immediately, Taehyung burst into tears, his sobs only becoming louder once he saw the blood on his hands after he had instinctually gone to cover his face.

The swing thieves were quick to find themselves at Taehyung’s side, the girl being almost as inconsolable as he was at that moment.

“I-I’m so, I-it was… a-are y-“ the girl whimpers, before the older boy accompanying her interrupts,

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry, oh man, there’s so much blood, _Jisoo_, look!” the boy hissed, fussing over Taehyung’s current condition.

The girl, Jisoo, let out a wail before all but screaming “_iamsosorryipromiseitwasanaccidentpleasedonthateme,_” all in one breath.

Overwhelmed by the sudden attention, Taehyung’s sobs turned into sniffles as he looked up at the pair of swing thieves for the first time. The girl, Jisoo, seemed to be around Taehyung’s age-long, brown hair styled in two braids, with large, owl-like eyes that stared right through his soul.

She was pretty, Taehyung decided and offered her a smile which she promptly returned, visibly relieved to see that she had not made an enemy in Taehyung.

Then, he locked eyes with the boy for the first time.

Taehyung’s honey-brown eyes met the older boy’s chocolate ones, and immediately he felt… safe, at home, _warm_. The boy, despite being a dirty swing thief, had an incredibly comforting aura to him- kindness and warmth seemed to radiate from his very core, his voice like chamomile, his features fitting perfectly on his face, even at 7 years old.

“You’re okay, yeah? Here, you’re all bloody,” the elder boy whispered before reaching to wipe Taehyung’s face.

The two boys made contact, and Taehyung felt it again-electricity.

Seeing the younger boy’s face now (mostly) free of blood, the still-nameless swing thief smiled.

Taehyung’s world stopped.

“There we go, all better. My name’s Kim Seokjin, by the way,” he grinned goofily,

“And this is my cousin, Kim Jisoo. She is _very_ sorry for kicking you in the face, aren’t you, Jisoo?” The girl sheepishly nodded, blushing furiously.

“I’m… Kim, too. Kim Taehyung!” he introduced himself, smiling back at Seokjin, eliciting a gasp from the older boy.

“D-did Jisoo knock out your tooth?!” he yelped in disbelief.

Taehyung immediately brought his hand to his mouth to feel for damage and surely enough, his front tooth was gone.

He stared open-mouthed and now gap-toothed at the older children, and they stared back.

There was complete silence for a couple of moments before Seokjin began to laugh- a laugh so ridiculous that Taehyung felt it may be funnier than any joke that caused it.

It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his very long 5 years of living, he decided.

“Well, looks like you’ll be getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy!” Seokjin laughs loudly, hand reaching out to clap Taehyung on the shoulder.

* * *

This is where it all began.

In a small park in Solaceon, covered in blood with his front tooth missing, Taehyung’s life had changed forever.

Some would call it puppy-love, and others would argue that it may have been love at first sight, but Taehyung didn’t care what it was because it was good and it was real.

The trio became fast friends, bonding over their love for pokemon and swing sets, even calling themselves the Kim Club (until they reached their teens, when they changed the name to Club Kim. _Sounds trendier_, Jisoo insisted).

This is where it all began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, chapter two is in the books! 
> 
> I hope it was okay. I'm still finding my voice as a writer.
> 
> This is the last chapter I had pre-written, hopefully chapter three will be up sooner than later.
> 
> Thank you for reading! :)


	3. Homemade Dynamite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six years have passed since Jisoo booted Taehyung into the next century, and the Kim Club is still kickin' it.  
  
It's summer in a small town and there isn't much to do besides get into trouble.  
Which happens to be the plan for these three small-town kids.  
  
Seokjin and Jisoo are chaos personified.  
Taehyung has no idea what's going on.  
There are roman candles involved. And maybe cops.  
There is definitely mischief.
> 
> Taehyung and Seokjin are feeling things they don't understand so they say, "let's ignore this!" because they are great with coping.
> 
> There's a heart to heart, and a birthday party, and lots of tears. Happy tears? Sad tears?  
Maybe both, maybe neither. Guess you'll have to find out.
> 
> :)

_Solaceon Town, Sinnoh_

_10 years ago_

Summer in Solaceon is about the same as summer in any small sleepy town- hot, hot, _hot_, with not much to do but get into trouble.

And that is exactly what the Kim trio got into- _trouble_.

On a dirt road just outside of Solaceon stood a boy and a girl engaged in what appeared to be an argument. The sun was just about to set, and the cool evening breezes began to replace the almost unbearable heat.

“Jisoo-noona, _please_,” Taehyung whined, worrying his bottom lip in between his teeth, “the least you can do is tell me what to expect!”  
He didn’t know what Jisoo was planning, exactly, but her reluctance to share the plan with Taehyung was _very_ telling. She scoffed at the younger boy, rolling her eyes.  
“Taehyungie would you please relax, you’ll have more fun if it’s a surprise! Seokjinnie-oppa should be here any minute, now.”

  
Taehyung frowned.  
He didn’t hate many things- in fact, he tried not to hate at all. Out of all the things he had encountered, he could think of maybe two things that he probably hated.  
One, he hated being out of the loop. Not knowing drove Taehyung absolutely crazy, he’d do almost anything in order to figure out exactly what he didn’t know- he ruined his 9th birthday party (a surprise party!) because of this, much to his mother's dismay.  
And two, he absolutely, positively despised getting into trouble.  
Everything about it was terrible- how quickly his face would flush, how quick he was to cry… He hated it.  
But most of all, he hated the looks of disappointment and sometimes anger he would get from others. Especially his parents.  
Knowing he had disappointed his parents made him sick to his stomach. It broke his heart.

Noticing the younger boy’s palpable anxiety, Jisoo’s hand found its way to his shoulder,  
“Taehyungie, hey, look at me,” she cooed softly, completely changing her earlier demeanor.  
Taehyung snapped out of his downward spiral and looked to Jisoo, eyes wide,  
“Everything’s fine. You know me and Jinnie-oppa will always have your back, yeah?” smiled Jisoo, enveloping her sweet dongsaeng in a tight hug.

It was kind of amazing to Taehyung, how Jisoo was so incredibly different than who she was when they had met but still somehow exactly the same.  
The sweet, shy Jisoo that had kicked him into another dimension that one fateful day at the park, who had cried with him after seeing she had hurt him, who had been so scared of getting into trouble… She wouldn’t have kept Taehyung in the dark. She probably wouldn’t have even come up with the plan at all.

But, even the sweetest little girls can grow up to be rebellious.  
Thankfully, Jisoo had retained her sweetness. It helped balance out all of the spice she had developed as the years went by.

The two children on the road broke apart when they heard a voice from afar.  
A velvety-smooth voice crackled by the beginnings of puberty.  
It could only be coming from one person: Kim Seokjin.  
Taehyung felt the once dormant butterflies in his stomach wake up, slowly but surely.

“Yah! I can’t believe I’m missing out on Kim Club Cuddle Time!” Seokjin shouted, quickening his pace as best as he could.

“Seokjinnie-oppa, what took you so long!” Jisoo yelled back, her cheeky tone matching the grin that had spread across her face.

Seokjin laughed- his squawk startling a nearby family of Staravia into the sky,  
“I don’t wanna hear it, Jisoo-yah! It’s not my fault Kyuhyun-hyung ran into a little trouble getting this stuff!”

_Stuff?!_  
Having to get "_stuff"_ from your "hyung" is almost always code for "we are doing illegal things", Taehyung thought to himself. His suspicion only grew as he noticed the suspiciously full backpack slung around his hyung’s shoulders.  
The pit of anxiety in his stomach began to grow, stopping as Seokjin came closer, closer, until he was right next to Taehyung. The butterflies are really doing a number now.  
Taehyung silently curses his stomach-butterflies, tries to will them back to sleep, but to no success.

Seven years had passed, and for reasons Taehyung hadn’t yet discovered, Seokjin’s very presence still triggered the winged critters into a frenzy in a way that none of the girls (or boys) at school ever could. At 12 years old he knew this feeling was _different_, but couldn’t really put his finger on _why_ it was different. Taehyung very briefly wracked his brain for some sort of answer as the two cousins continued to bicker, before his thoughts wandered back to the _Top Secret Plan_. He _had _to find out.

“Seokjin-hyung, will you tell me what we’re doing? _Please?_” Taehyung pouts, putting on his best pair of puppy-eyes. The two cousins look at eacho other, Jisoo attempting to whisper something along the lines of “hecannotknowpleasedontsayanythingyet,” to Seokjin, earning a scowl from Taehyung. 

Seokjin pretends not to hear Taehyung's question. _The absolute nerve this guy has,_ Taehyung hisses to himself.

He is quickly reaching the end of his rope, and decides that it's time to pull out the big guns: _the dramatics._

“Seokjin-_hyuuuuung_," he whines, drawing out the last syllable as long as he can, "the least you can do is tell me what I’m getting into before I get thrown into jail!” huffs the youngest of the three, pouting his lips and crossing his arms across his chest. Tantrum mode: activated.

This earns a chuckle from Seokjin, “Oh Taehyung-ah, you have nothing to worry about. We’re just going to have some summer fun!” the older boy coos kindly before turning to Jisoo,

"Shall we?" he asks his cousin, something chaotic shining in his eyes,

"We shall," Jisoo replies with a nod, the look in her eyes matching Seokjins.

“Now, my sweet dongsaengs, we should get going before it gets too dark out,” the eldest announces, clapping his hands together before adjusting his backpack,

“We have some memories to make!”

Taehyung looks at his friends in disappointment, and in one last attempt to whine his way out of the _plan, _he sighs. Loudly.  
The two cousins look at Taehyung, and for the first time that night, Seokjin’s eyes meet Taehyung’s, and the eldest smiles.  
_God._  
The butterflies continue their frantic dance in Taehyung’s stomach, except when the two boys lock eyes. When they lock eyes, they stop- as if the world itself stops.

_Weird,_ Taehyung thought to himself.  
_How does Seokjin-hyung rile me up so much only to calm me down immediately after?!_  
Taehyung’s thoughts are interrupted as an arm finds its way around his shoulder.  
Seokjin’s arm. Around Taehyung’s shoulder.  
His entire body freezes, panicking for a split second before autopilot thankfully takes over, and his arm snakes its way around the older boy’s back, feeling the warmth of the older boy against his body.

Now the butterflies turn into thunder clouds, lightning strikes where their skin meets.  
Taehyung feels electric. Buzzing. Anxious. Happy.   
It briefly occurs to Taehyung that Seokjin’s other arm was wrapped around Jisoo’s shoulders, but that did little to stop the storm raging in his belly and the sparks on his skin.  
Taehyung wonders if Seokjin feels it too.

The Kim kids walk like this, arms around each other, smiles on their faces, until they reach their destination: the Solaceon Ruins.  
Taehyung’s pulse quickens slightly- he had only ever heard stories about the ruins, and almost all of them were of the spooky variety. The trio stops and stands in front of the ruins in silence, taking in the view.  
The ruins are…. Well, ruined. Taehyung didn't know what else he was expecting, but he couldn't help but feel surprised.  
The brick walls are well-worn, weathered by years of rain, snow, and wind and covered in moss and ivy. The remainder of two gargoyles- Gengar, it looks like, stand on either side of the building’s entrance.  
Unsurprisingly, the ruins give off a heavy sense of dread that sends chills down the trio’s spines- although they would never admit it to each other.  
Taehyung says a silent prayer that he doesn't pee his pants in front of his friends.

Removing his arms from his friend’s shoulders, Seokjin slides off his backpack and places it on the dry grass with a soft thud before reaching his arms straight up above his head in a stretch.  
“I didn’t think they’d be this heavy, my god,” he pouts, slowly lowering himself onto the ground beside his bag with a groan, suddenly resembling a grandpa rather than a soon-to-be seventh grader. Taehyung smiles to himself, barely resisting the urge to make a joke to his hyung about his elderly appearance.  
“You should have said something, oppa! I could have helped carry it!” Jisoo grumbles, putting her hands on her hips and frowning.  
Seokjin’s response to his cousin’s concern, naturally, is to stick out his tongue at Jisoo before unzipping his backpack of mystery. A man of few words, Seokjin has always been.

Despite the growing darkness, Taehyung could vaguely make out the shapes of whatever “_stuff_” Seokjin had gotten from his hyung- rods of different lengths and thicknesses, with… cones, maybe, at one end and a fairly short piece of string attached on the other end...

_Oh._

Taehyung has finally figured out the _Top Secret Plan_ and his brain simply... breaks. Somehow, there are a billion things running through his head, but also nothing at all. He has a billion things to say, but his two brain cells that were _not panicking_ could only come up with one simple word.

“Fireworks.”  
It didn’t even come out as a question like Taehyung had intended. It came out as a statement. And it was possibly the least intelligent-sounding statement he had ever made in his _very long_ 10 years of existence.

Jisoo snort-laughs, a wild look in her eyes as she ogles the fireworks laying on the grass in front of them, “Yes, Tae. Fireworks.”

“We are doing _fireworks._”  
Again, Taehyung’s question comes out as a statement, and he silently curses out his two brain cells for making him sound so _dense_.

“We sure are, Taehyung-ah,” Jisoo says, unphased, before turning to Seokjin,

“Oppa, did you bring something to light these with?” she asks, and of course, this set Seokjin off on a rant about how_ he always comes prepared, of course I have a lighter Jisoo, I am a super-scout! The best scout, damn it!_  
Luckily, his rant quickly turns into finally explaining the plan in its entirety, a flash of excitement suddenly appearing in his eyes. Seokjin has been an open book, a mood-maker since birth it seemed, and his passion was very contagious.  
As he continued to listen to his hyung, Taehyung felt something shift inside- his anxiety. It began to melt away, a new feeling replacing it: something between excitement and comfort. Something new. Something exciting.  
Taehyung suddenly remembers what Jisoo had told him earlier in the night: “We would never let anything happen to you,” or something like that. Taehyung couldn’t think of the exact words, but he remembers the comfort they brought him in that moment.

They had his back, no matter what. And that was enough.  
He still wasn’t completely on board, still a little hesitant to break the rules, but he suddenly found himself craving the adrenaline that comes after doing something bad.

“So, just so I’m clear, we are setting off fireworks at the Solaceon Ruins. Where ghosts live? What if we hit one?” Taehyung asks, finally regaining his speech skills,

  
“Taehyung,_ you can’t kill a ghost twice_. Don’t be ridiculous!” said Jisoo, firework in hand.

  
“Oh. Right. So you guys are sure this is okay?” the youngest asks again, his voice surprisingly steady despite his lingering nerves.  
His mother had taught him to be cautious, to always make sure that it’s okay to do something before you do it, and to always trust your elders.  
So, when Jisoo and Seokjin reassured him that _Yes, Tae, everything is fine_, Taehyung believed them without question.

_Spoiler alert: _it was not okay.

And, _life hack_: do**_ not _**listen to Jisoo and Seokjin, who are literally chaos personified. Especially when it comes to fireworks.

The first rocket went off without a hitch, surprisingly. Taehyung had held what he learned was called a roman candle for Seokjin while the older boy lit the fuse, and they watched it go up, up, up before combusting in the sky, purple and blue sparkles lighting up the sky. And, suddenly, there it was- the high. The delicious, addicting rush that came afterwards, that's meant to be chased.

He had almost allowed himself to believe that sometimes breaking the rules can be fun when things went south. Quickly.  
Jisoo excitedly lit her own roman candle, unable to stifle the slightly-crazed giggles spilling from her lips as she watched the crackling fuse. Unfortunately, her excitement caused her to forget one of Seokjin’s very important instructions: **DO NOT AIM FIREWORKS AT BUILDINGS OR PEOPLE OR ANYTHING THAT IS NOT THE SKY.**

What happened next was a bit of a blur- Taehyung remembers only bits and pieces.

_The crackle of the fuse, the smell of chemicals and burning, the loud pop of the explosive finally igniting, Jisoo’s loud laughter._

_Then, _ _Jisoo’s excitement morphing into fear. _

_The crash-bang of the firework hitting the side of the Solaceon Ruins. Jisoo’s loud scream, muffled by the crumbling of old brick and crackling fire._   
_Seokjin’s exasperated yell,_   
** _“Jisoo, what the FUCK?”_ **

_Being pulled by the arm, being told to “fucking run, Tae,”_   
_The scratching and scraping of forest brush against his bare legs as they tried to flee the scene of the crime._

  
_Being blinded by police flashlights. _

_Tears of fear and embarassment spilling from Jisoo’s eyes, just as they had all those years ago._   
_And, worst of all, the looks of disappointment and anger on the faces of their parents._

That’s what Taehyung remembers.

And then, of course, was the punishment that came afterwards.

Taehyung, Jisoo, and Seokjin occupy the couch in Kim Eunha’s living room.  
In front of them stood two Mama Kims- both women looking very tired and very unimpressed.

“Eomma, you can’t be serious,” whined Seokjin, on the verge of a tantrum.

“Auntie Eunha, it was an _accident_,” groaned Jisoo, throwing her head back against the sofa dramatically, “Please don’t make us do this for the rest of the summer!”

Both Mama Kims stood their ground, despite the Chaos Twins’ best efforts to earn some sympathy points and get them off the hook.  
“No, this is not up for debate. Jiwon and I discussed it, and we think that the best way to keep you three out of trouble is to have you working at the Daycare with us until school starts,” Eunha states firmly, eyes fixed on her son and niece.  
“Don’t look so upset, children. It’s hardly even work,” Jiwon adds sweetly, “who doesn’t love playing with pokemon? We might even be able to hatch some eggs, doesn’t that sound cool?”

Jisoo and Seokjin grumble between themselves, trying to plead their cases one last time.

Taehyung, however, sits quietly beside them. He is…. Not seeing the big issue here, to be honest. Spending the rest of the summer with his two best friends and their moms was his plan for the summer to begin with, so what if they had to be at the Pokemon Daycare?

If anything, Taehyung felt that was a bonus. He loves pokemon. He loves his friends. He loves his mom, and he loves his other mom, Eunha. And even more than before, he loves staying out of trouble.  
Needless to say, he its very much on board with this “punishment”.

* * *

Besides the long, hot days outside and a very minor bite from a grouchy growlithe, Taehyung’s summer was one of the best he’d ever had. He had discovered that he had a lot of untapped potential in pokemon handling- the creatures could sense the respect and love he felt for them, so they were more inclined to listen to his commands. Seokjin’s mother had made a couple of comments about how good he was with pokemon, even suggesting to Jiwon that he should get a pokemon of his own.

"Maybe some day," she'd laughed.

  
Jisoo on the other hand, was more or less uninterested in training the pokemon. She spent the majority of the summer curled up on a hammock, a snubbull named Rosie sleeping by her side as Jisoo read books and took the occasional nap- a summer well spent, to Jisoo’s surprise.

And then, there was Seokjin.

Seokjin was a natural, there’s really no other way to say it.

He lacked the shyness and anxiety around pokemon that most children have, even Taehyung had been skittish around the creatures for the first couple of weeks. On his first day, he had managed to form bonds with most of the pokemon at the daycare. By the end of his first week, he had bonded with all of them.  
There was one pokemon, though, that he had really hit it off with- an Eevee named Bomi.

Seokjin and Bomi were inseparable to the point where Taehyung was… oddly jealous of the creature for taking up all of Seokjin’s time but also thrilled that his best friend had found a passion, something that he _loved_ in life.  
“Bomi-yah, time for dinner!” Seokjin called, and unsurprisingly Bomi came running towards his voice, small chirps coming from the creature as Seokjin appeared in her line of vision.  
“Jin-hyung, you’re so good at that,” Taehyung mumbled in awe, heart fluttering as his eyes met Seokjin’s, which were crinkled up in a smile. He had never looked so happy, Taehyung noticed. He was glowing, even. An unknown feeling began to fill his heart, an indescribable warmth radiating from his core.

“Good at what, Taehyung-ah? Putting food in a dish and yelling?” Seokjin teased. He knew full well what Taehyung meant, and as humble as he may be, Seokjin was not above fishing for compliments on rare occasions. Taehyung, oblivious to the cheeky lilt in Seokjin’s voice, tries to explain further.  
“You’re just… good. You’re caring and kind and I think you’re the greatest,” he spit out, the last bit tumbling out by accident. Whoops.  
“With Bomi, I mean. It’s awesome,”  
_Nice save, Tae,_ he cringes internally.  
Seokjin continued to beam at Taehyung, looking very smug, before turning away to face Bomi when he notices the burn of a blush begin to spread across his cheeks,  
“Ah, she makes it look easy, don’t you Bomi?” he cooed at the little Eevee, who continued to munch away on her dinner.

  
After Bomi finishes her dinner, Seokjin helps Taehyung serve dinner to the rest of the Daycare before grabbing dinner for themselves- two roast beef sandwiches packed up neatly in brown paper bags, courtesy of Eunha and Jiwon.  
“Wanna eat at the park?” Seokjin asks with a tilt of his head.  
Taehyung responds with a very loud, “Good idea, hyung!” and without another word, the two boys begin their journey to the park, with the beginning of a sunset on the horizon.

They naturally find themselves on the swings, paper bags in hand, arguing about who had won the race to the park. Let me set the scene: Taehyung had challenged Seokjin, who had accepted said challenge and immediately started sprinting, leaving Taehyung in the dust.  
Despite starting behind the other, Taehyung managed to catch up and the race ended in a “total photo finish, Taehyung-ah! There’s no way you’re sure you won. There’s no proof!” according to Seokjin. Obviously, Taehyung disagreed, and he would die on this hill if it meant that he could say that he won.  
Taehyung and Seokjin argue often, mostly over things like this- stupid, pointless competition that neither boy will admit to losing. It’s less of an argument, more of a face-off between two very stubborn children who hate losing more than anything.

“Hyung, the aliens were watching and they told me I won. So, there.”

“How did the aliens tell you that? I see no aliens. You are a fraud! I’ll call the cops!”

Taehyung laughs, his smile taking up his entire face,

“It’s called telepathy!”

He loves times like these with Seokjin- where they’re both being so goofy and they’re playing off each other, pretending that they’re serious.

Seokjin snorts, opening his paper bag.  
“Whatever, let’s call it a tie. I’m hungry, can we discuss this with the aliens after we eat?”

Taehyung smiles even bigger now, because he _won_,  
“Yeah hyung, I’m starving.”

The boys ate in silence, save for the occasional sounds of enjoyment. Their moms made the best food, as far as either boy was concerned. Although they tried to savour their sandwiches, they both finished eating quickly. Taehyung looked over at his hyung only to see that Seokjin had his thinking face on, which only meant one thing: something was troubling him.

“Seokjin-hyung, whatcha thinkin’ about?” Taehyung asks, digging his feet into the cool sand and beginning to swing. Seokjin purses his lips as if he’s unsure of whether he actually wants to talk about what’s on his mind.  
“Taehyung-ah… what do you want to be when you grow up?” he asks, looking up at the clear night sky above- the full moon smiling down at them. Taehyung wasn’t expecting that kind of question from Jin, not in the slightest. He hums as he ponders, really trying to think of a good answer. Truth be told, Taehyung had no idea. Much like any 10 year old, he was more interested in video games and riding his bike than he was in thinking about his future.  
“Um, I don’t know. Astronaut would be cool, I think. Or maybe a police officer like my dad? Or a teacher, maybe,” Taehyung rambles, trying to hide the fact that he hasn’t thought about it once. Seokjin remains silent, so Taehyung continues his rambles.  
“How about you, hyung? I guess you could always take over the Daycare when your parents get old,” he continues, looking at Seokjin whose gaze hasn’t left the moon above. Seokjin sighs.  
“I think... I wanna do something where I can travel, maybe,” he says, the uncertainty heavy in his voice. Taehyung hums, nodding his head in understanding.  
“Oh, like what your dad does? A TV reporter, right” Taehyung asks, tilting his head up to look at the moon with Seokjin.  
The older boy’s face scrunches up in thought again, “Mmm… No, I’d be no good for TV. Too handsome, would break the cameras,” Seokjin deadpans, earning a soft laugh from Taehyung. He's glad that his silly hyung can still be silly in serious moments like this. Seokjin clears his throat,  
“I guess I’ve been thinking about… becoming a trainer. Taking the gym challenge, and stuff. You know?” he pauses and looks at the younger to gauge his reaction, who is still staring at the moon. Seokjin doesn't know why he's so nervous about talking about this with Taehyung, but something about it feels.... Impossible. But, now it's out in the open. So he has to continue.

“I think I want to become the champion, Taehyung. It’s kind of… my dream, I guess?”  
Seokjin says quietly, voice almost a whisper.  
This gets Taehyung’s attention, the word _champion_. His head snaps towards his hyung, eyes as big as the moon itself, “Sorry, sorry, I zoned out a bit there. Ch-champion?” he stutters, matching the stuttering of his heart.  
“I know it’s stupid and crazy, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Gah, do you think it’s too big of a dream Taehyungie? Be honest,” Seokjin stumbles over his words, uncharacteristically flustered and nervous and insecure. His ears are _burning._

Taehyung hasn’t seen this side of Seokjin, not ever. The stuttering of his heart slows, and instead, it begins to swell with endearment.

Taehyung shakes his head and smiles, “Hyung, no dream is too big. You’re the most talented, coolest guy I know, of course you can do it! I can already imagine you in the Hall of Fame!” babbles Taehyung, watching as a shy smile spreads across Seokjin’s face, “I’m serious, Seokjinnie-hyung. You’re the best trainer I know!”  
Seokjin chuckles softly, getting up from his swing and wrapping Taehyung in the best hug he can manage with the younger sitting on the swing, squeezing him tight.  
“That means a lot, Taehyung-ah. Thank you,” murmurs Seokjin, breath warm on Taehyung’s shoulder. Goosebumps.  
They stay like that for what feels like hours, until the sun finally sets in the sky and the night begins to creep in.

Taehyung is the one to break the silence.  
“Hyung, we should get going before our moms ground us again,”

Seokjin groans, “Ah, you’re right. Wanna race back? Gotta show the aliens that I can beat you twice!”  
Taehyung smiles, and without a word, starts sprinting home just as Seokjin did earlier, leaving him in the dust.

* * *

The lush greens of summer soon turned into the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of fall, meaning that the trio’s work at the Daycare was finally coming to an end. Jisoo and Taehyung were thrilled to finally have their freedom back, but Seokjin… Seokjin wanted to keep working with the pokemon- especially Bomi, whose owner had extended her stay from the end of summer to the end of fall.

Eunha, although very surprised, wasn’t about to turn down an extra set of hands and began teaching her son how to care for the eggs that would sometimes appear.   
Taehyung, being the devoted friend and satellite that he is, would also help out on the Daycare occasionally- partially to hang out with Seokjin, partially to admire his talents. That fall, Taehyung really fell in love with training pokemon- he had even formed a bond with one of the creatures at the Daycare: a runt of a Teddyursa who, like Taehyung, was very eager to please. Taehyung had begged and begged his mom to let him keep the little bear, but Jiwon stood firm, "When you're older, baby," she'd said, smiling at her son. 

As fall came to a close, Bomi’s owner returned. Seokjin knew it was coming for months now, but that didn’t soften the blow or stop the heartache he felt when he had to say goodbye. He'd cried, and he'd cried hard.   
Taehyung had been there, of course. He had wrapped his small frame around Seokjin’s larger one as best as he could and pretended not to see the tears falling from his hyung’s eyes.  
After that day, Seokjin wasn’t quite himself, no, not at all. His glow was gone, the light in his eyes so dim it was hardly there.  
Taehyung wished he could put that light back in his hyung’s eyes, he wished he could help, but he knew all he could do is be his friend. And so, that is exactly what he did.

“Hyuuuung, it’s your birthday next week!” Taehyung grinned across the dinner table, where Seokjin was currently (obviously) pretending to do his homework.

Taehyung, knowing he was being deceived, proceeded to walk behind Seokjin before jamming his fingers into his hyung’s sides.  
That got his attention.

  
“Yes, it is my birthday next week. And what about it?”

  
“Are you excited?”

  
Seokjin sighs dejectedly, closing his notebook,  
“I mean, it’s just another day, isn’t it?”

  
Taehyung furrows his eyebrows and frowns.

“No, hyung. It’s your 14th birthday!”

  
“Yeah, I guess? I’m not overly excited.” Seokjin says, the sadness in his voice weighing heavy on Taehyung’s heart.

  
“Well, you should be. I’ll make sure it’s your best day ever, promise!” Tae vowed, smiling as he got up to leave for his own house.

  
“You better look forward to it, hyung!” he says with a final wave, boxy grin on his face, before closing the door behind him.

Seokjin rolls his eyes, and doesn’t look forward to it.

——————————————————

Eunha's dining room is full for the first time in what feels like forever.

Seokjin sits at the head of the dinner table, Jisoo and Taehyung on either side of him, his parents and Jiwon filling the remaining chairs.

  
It's his birthday, and honestly? It hasn't been half bad.  
He got to spend time with Jisoo and Taehyung, which was always a treat.

His dad had made it home and surprised him with breakfast, which was pretty cool.

And then, Jiwon and his mother had made one of his favorites for dinner- medium-rare steak, which was cooked to perfection. Obviously.

It was... a very good day, to say the least. He almost felt... happy, for the first time since Bomi left.

  
Seokjin is so content with the presence of his friends and family that he had forgotten that he had yet to receive his birthday present.

“Seokjinnie, do you want cake or your gift first?” Eunha asks nonchalantly, looking to her son. Before he has time to even think of an answer, a very shrill voice shouts, “GIFT! He wants his gift, give him the gift!”

Jisoo. It was Jisoo, obviously, who was yelling across the table, excitement radiating from her tiny frame. Seokjin gives his cousin a look of confusion, which she returns with a smile. He doesn’t think much of Jisoo’s weirdness, because she's always weird. Always has been, always will be.

Taehyung, on the other hand, was unusually quiet. But then again, Tae has been having his moments lately as well. He dwells on this realization for only a moment before he decides that he'll deal with it tomorrow, because _damn it, it's his birthday!_

Shrugging off the weirdness, Seokjin chuckles, “I guess I want my gift first, please,”.

Eunha is smiling as she leaves the kitchen, and smiling when she returns with a suspiciously large box, wrapped in bright pink paper.  
“Now, baby, be careful. It’s fragile, don’t want you to break it,” she explains to her son, her smile not moving an inch off her face.  
“Alright, Eomma. I’ll be careful,” Seokjin replies, kissing his mother on the cheek before carefully tearing into the paper, peeling it off of the gift.  
He can feel everyone’s eyes on him as he peers into the box. Something scuffles against the cardboard, and that's when it happens.

  
His eyes meet another pair of eyes, and his eyes immediately fill with tears upon realizing exactly what he’s looking at.

  
In the box sits a tiny, fluffy baby Eevee. Newly hatched, Seokjin infers, judging by the fur patterns. The little creature chirps, cocking its head in concern when it notices Seokjin’s tears, and the dam breaks.

Sobs rattle through his body as he picks the Eevee up, finally getting a good look at it. 

  
“She….. She looks just like Bomi,” Seokjin manages to choke out, smiling at the reminder of his furry friend. Now everyone at the party is crying. Eunha nods,  
“Before Bomi’s owner picked her up, we found an egg and he wanted us to keep it,” Eunha smiles, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, “It’s Bomi’s baby, Jinnie, and she’s all yours,”

He doesn't realize it, but Taehyung does: the light has returned to his eyes again. The void that Bomi left was finally filled.

Seokjin cannot believe his incredible luck. He spends the remainder of his birthday eating cake and playing with his first ever companion, his little Eevee, who he had decided to name Byeol after a very, very long discussion with Taehyung and Jisoo.

"Does it suit her, guys? Name rater appointments are expensive, I don't want to have to change it," Seokjin asks nervously, studying the pokemon as she crawled up onto Jisoo's lap.  
“It’s perfect, oppa,” Jisoo assured her cousin, rubbing Byeol’s big ears she had yet to grow into.  
“Yeah, hyung! It’s perfect, she’s going to be the brightest star in your life- I just know it!” agreed Taehyung, grinning that same boxy grin he had last week- when he promised that Seokjin’s 13th birthday would be the best day of his life.

"Byeol it is, then," Seokjin smiles back at the younger boy before softly smacking his back.

“I can’t believe you were right, Tae,” he says fondly.

  
Taehyung cocks his head as they lock eyes, doing his best to look puzzled.  
“Right about what, hyung?” Taehyung asks, although he knows exactly what he was right about.

He wants to hear Seokjin say it.

“About how my 14th birthday would be the best day of my life, I really thought it’d be like any other day but you were right. I’m so happy you were right,”

Seokjin explains to the boy, resting his head on Taehyung’s shoulder as he watches Byeol attempt to play-wrestle with Jisoo.  
Taehyung smiles big and leans his head against Seokjin’s in a weird head-hug type of thing, but it’s strangely perfect in the moment. 

“Ah, right! Right, right, right. Well, hyung, am I ever wrong?” Taehyung asks smugly, hoping it isn’t too obvious that he’s playing dumb.

  
It is obvious, and Seokjin notices. But, he doesn’t say anything.  
He just smiles.

  
“You’re ridiculous, Taehyung-ah,” Seokjin scoffs as he goes to ruffle Tae’s hair. His hand makes contact with the younger’s hair, soft and thick, and suddenly something shifts inside of him. It's subtle, but it's there.

And there’s this weird feeling in his stomach that he doesn’t recognize- something warm, and safe. Something like home. It’s unfamiliar but familiar. It's scary but comforting, all at once. It's very confusing.

But, somehow, it’s perfect. This day, this moment, they're perfect. And Seokjin is happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kim Taehyung said "for all the youngsters out there without dreams"
> 
> Ahhh I'm so glad this chapter is WRITTEN and put AWAY!!! It was such a tough one to write. I may or may not have written it instead of studying for my final tomorrow. Like, its such a joke how writers block does NOT go away until you have actual work to do. And then boom-you're inspired. Wack.
> 
> Anyways.  
writing is haaaarrrd.
> 
> I'm not like, super psyched with this chapter but it turned out a lot better than i initially thought!! I hope y'all like it. Drop me a kudos or a comment if you have any suggestions. Just don't be an asshole, plz!!! I will cry :)
> 
> I'm sorry for any fucky formatting and for any mistakes with my past/present-tense. i've always had SO MUCH trouble with keeping it consistent throughout its ridiculous!!!
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed it.
> 
> We're getting into the ~teen years~ next chapter and I am so excited to not be writing from a child's perspective anymore. I can't wait to channel 14-year-old mads, she was a MESS. In the best way.
> 
> Anyways, yeah! More to come! Look forward to it :)


	4. The Season/Carry Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jisoo has a crush.  
So does Taehyung.  
And Seokjin, too, for that matter.
> 
> The boys are clueless, and Jisoo somehow knows everything.

> _It was late in the fall,_   
_caught a glimpse of my first love,_   
_my god_
> 
> _Heart Don't Stand A Chance (Anderson .Paak)_

_Solaceon Town, Sinnoh_

_6 years ago_

* * *

Taehyung has always been a lucky kid, always finding four-leaf clovers and pennies on the ground, always picking the quickest line at the grocery store. 

Growing up with Seokjin and Jisoo, however, was perhaps his greatest stroke of luck yet.

The youngest of the trio was like a sponge, soaking up all the best qualities of the two cousins- Jisoo’s ambition and confidence, Seokjin’s charisma and kind nature, to the point where he became almost a perfect mix of both of his friends. This isn’t to say that Taehyung was without flaws, though. For starters, his confidence manifested as arrogance- as opposed to Jisoo’s quiet self-assured nature. Thankfully, he had both her and Seokjin to put him in his place should he cross any lines or step on any toes.

The Kim trio completed each other- where one was lacking, the other two would be able to pick up the slack and help out, no matter the situation. 

“We have a very embryonic friendship, I think,” Taehyung confidently stated one day, his class had just started learning about ecosystems and he was excited to use the new words he had picked up.

“You mean _ symbiotic, _Tae,” Jisoo retorted with a smile, endeared by the younger boys mistake. Taehyung felt his face flush in embarrassment, trying to hide behind a sheepish smile.

It was true, though. All three Kims benefited from their relationships from one another, all in different ways. 

Out of all of them, Jisoo was the smartest. She was the type of student you envied: good work ethic, close with all the teachers, always making the honor roll… and worst of all, she was _ humble _ about her academic prowess. _ And _she was popular. Jisoo was truly the entire package, although she would never admit it.

Seokjin on the other hand, was the least academic of the three. He just didn’t have the natural academic ability that Jisoo and Taehyung possessed, but he was very street-smart.

Unfortunately for Seokjin, street-smarts don’t get you very far in school.

Taehyung and Jisoo, being the sweet dongsaengs they were, took it upon themselves to help Seokjin in school as much as they could.

This is how Kim Eunha’s Kitchen Table replaced the Solaceon Park as the new Kim Club meeting place.

  
  


“Jisoo-yah, could you _ please _ stop babbling?! I need to finish this literature paper by _ tomorrow _ and Taehyung and I can’t _ focus!” _ Seokjin glares at Jisoo from across the table, giving her his best scowl hoping to intimidate her.

“But Seokjinnie-oppa, I need your expertise! You’re the only one that can help!” Jisoo whines back, batting her thick, heavily mascara-ed lashes at her cousin knowing he’s a sucker for flattery.

Seokjin groans, “Okay, _ fine, _flattery gets you everywhere. What is it?”

“I’m in _ love _.”

“You are not.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it at first either, I-”

“No, Jisoo. You are definitely fucking not in love.”

Taehyung and Jisoo both flinch at Seokjin’s sudden profanity, not used to hearing him speak in that way. Jisoo raises an eyebrow, face hardening, and Taehyung braces himself knowing what is soon to come: a classic Kim cousin showdown. 

As much as he adored his two best friends, he did not adore the way they’d argue with each other. They’d almost always try to drag Taehyung into the middle of their mostly completely pointless arguments, even when he had no opinion on the topic. 

“How do you know? Have _ you _ ever been in love?” Jisoo spits, voice like poison. Teenage hormones had done their damage on sweet Jisoo, who could go from being warm and kind to cruel with a flip of a switch. Taehyung makes a mental note to _ never piss off Jisoo, _because she could definitely make him cry. Seokjin, on the other hand, was immune to the brutality that only teenage girls seem to be capable of. 

“Oh, sorry, I thought you wanted my _ expertise.” _

_ “ _ I _ do, _ you didn’t let me get to my question!”

“Alright, ask away. What do you need, brat?”

Jisoo takes a deep breath, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. Suddenly, she can’t bear to meet Seokjin’s eyes, the fiery confidence she had possessed just moments ago disappearing completely.

“Um. So. Iwashopingyoucouldmaybeintroducemetoyourfriend. Please. Maybe?” she whispers, barely coherent.

“....pardon?”

Another big sigh escapes the girl before finally looking at her cousin, still sheepish and red-cheeked.

“I was hoping you could introduce me to your friend, maybe. Please?”

Seokjin’s thick brows knit together, his head cocks to one side. He looks… confused. And he is _ very _ confused. Seokjin was “popular”, sure, but he only had at most four or five people he would consider actual friends. He combs over the list in his head, _ well, it obviously couldn’t be herself. And Taehyung is out of the question. There’s Moonbyul, but she’s a girl and I think I’d have noticed if she likes girls… Maybe Kyuhyun-hyung? But he’s too old…. That leaves… _

_ “SANDEUL?!” _ Seokjin all but shrieks, causing Taehyung to flinch while Jisoo sinks down in her seat, humiliated by her cousin’s reaction. Taehyung is quite honestly engrossed in the scene unfolding in front of his eyes, _ God, it’s just like a drama, _ he thinks to himself before leaning back in his chair, eager to see what happens next. 

“No, no. I wanna hear you say it, Jisoo-yah, you have a crush on Sandeul-ie?!” 

Jisoo says nothing out loud, because she’s too busy berating herself internally. _ How could I be so naive_, she curses herself, _ he’s never going to stop teasing me now. _

Seokjin is now grinning ever so smugly from ear to ear, giggling like a little boy, “Jisoo-yah has a cru-ush!” he sing-songs, Jisoo’s blush deepening. 

“Oppa, please. Just... forget I said anything,” she hisses, eyes cast down once again, but Seokjin isn’t letting her off the hook that easily.

“I would never forget such a thing, my sweet Jisoo-ie! Now, tell me _ everything,” _the eldest leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands. Taehyung’s heart flutters, just a little bit. 

“I…ah... wasn’t expecting this reaction, to be honest. I thought you might be, you know-” Jisoo stammers, uncharacteristically speechless. 

“Upset? Disgusted? Horrified?” Seokjin interrupts, grin still present on his face,

“Well, yeah? I just admitted I was crushing on your best_ friend,_ I didn’t think you’d be so… thrilled?” Taehyung flinches at Jisoo’s choice of words, her calling someone other than Taehyung Seokjin’s best_ friend _stung, jealousy forming a pit in the base of Taehyung’s stomach.

“Well, I was a little grossed out at first. But then I realized that if you got married, Sandeul-ie would pretty much be my brotherand that would probably be the coolest thing like, ever!” the eldest explains excitedly, his hands moving in tandem with his words. Taehyung feels himself relax slightly, hearing Seokjin’s desire to have Sandeul as a _ brother _rather than anything else. He doesn’t know why the idea of the latter makes him sick to his stomach, but he doesn’t know a lot of things, so he decides not to explore it further.

Jisoo is smiling now, the anxiety gone from her face. 

“So, are you going to talk about your feelings now, or?” Seokjin prods and Jisoo wastes no time getting into the details.

Taehyung listens as he slowly starts packing up the books and papers spread out on the table, silently accepting the fact that there was no chance of getting any work done now that Jisoo’s off on one of her tangents. If there was one thing Clueless Tae was sure of, it was that Jisoo could talk forever once she was allowed to get going.

He couldn’t help but feel annoyed that his time with his hyung had been cut short, as selfish as that might make him. Seokjin had been busy lately with school, with Byeol's training, as well as his new permanent position at the Daycare with his parents, and Taehyung was really missing his constant presence in his life. 

But, Taehyung guesses spending time with Seokjin and Jisoo talking about crushes is better than the alternative: not spending time with Seokjin at all, so he tries his best to mask his annoyance and listens to Jisoo wax poetic about Sandeul.

  
  


After what feels like years_, _ Jisoo is finally done with her romantic chattering and Tae thanks the stars above, until Seokjin suddenly shoots up from his seat.

“Ah, shit! I’m going to be late!” he yelps, gesturing to the microwave clock sitting on the cabinet. The kids had lost track of time listening to Jisoo, and now it looked like Seokjin was not only going to be late for work but was going to have to hand his assignment in late, too. 

The eldest scrambles to gather all of his things, slings on his backpack and rushes to the front door.

“Same time, same place tomorrow!” he calls to the two still in the kitchen, before running out towards the Daycare. As he leaves, Taehyung immediately dives right into Overthinking Mode.

“Ah, that silly Seokjinnie of ours,” Jisoo giggles, turning to face Taehyung who had what Jisoo and Seokjin liked to call _ The Look _ on his face. _ The Look _ that only meant one thing: Taehyung was _ way too deep _in his head and needed a friend pronto.

“Taehyung-ah, you good?” she places a small, manicured hand on his shoulder and gives it a light squeeze, making Taehyung flinch. He looks up at the girl with his big, brown eyes and meets her empathetic gaze.

“I have an idea. Let’s go to the park.” Jisoo says softly, Taehyung nods. She grabs him by the wrist and they begin to walk.

Like always, they immediately find themselves on the swingset, swaying gently side-by-side. The sky is a pretty orange-pink, the setting sun casting a soft glow over everything it could touch. 

They swing in silence for a while, as Taehyung tries to collect his thoughts. Moments like these make Taehyung remember why he appreciates Jisoo so much- she’s just a great friend all-around. For all of her flaws: how vapid she can be, her stubbornness, her attitude… she makes up for all of that in the areas that matter most. Taehyung loves how they can just… _ be _ with each other- no bullshitting, no pointless chattering… He doesn’t understand why he loves her but doesn’t _ love _ her in a way that would be _ normal. _ He had heard her talking about Sandeul today, how her heart races whenever she sees him and how his smile is her favorite smile she’d ever seen, ever. How easily he makes her laugh, and how this laughter is somehow _ different _ than, say, the laughter she has with Seokjin and Taehyung. 

Jisoo is pretty. Taehyung knows this, acknowledges it. She is also very smart, and sweet, and kind. But he doesn’t _ like _ like her. His friend at school, Bobby, had asked him one day, “Are you and Jisoo like… a thing?” to which Taehyung replied, “No, definitely not?” because he had literally never even _ kind of _thought of her in that way. Bobby then asked him, “Why not? She’s a fucking dime, man. The entire package! You should jump on it,” which made Taehyung want to throw up a little bit, but it also made him think. He had never had a crush (or so he thought), and after Jisoo had spent hours talking about hers… he was starting to question what he initially thought about himself. So, here he sits with Jisoo on the swings where they first met. And everything feels weird-like something is going to change forever. And he’s scared, and he doesn’t know why. Taehyung chews on his lip absent-mindedly, trying his best to form a sentence that actually makes sense with very little success.

Jisoo breaks the silence first.

“So… what’s on your mind, T?” she sounds uncertain like she couldn’t figure out the right thing to say either but she couldn’t bear the quiet anymore.

Taehyung sighs, looking up to the sky. It’s changed from the pinky-orange to a deeper bluey-purple, and the stars are finally starting to shine. Taehyung makes a quick wish: _ to be confident and not stupid, _before finally opening his mouth with his question.

“Jisoo-noona… how do you know you have a crush? I…. I know you might have mentioned it earlier but I forget what you said…” Taehyung finally says, his voice cracking a bit at the end.

Jisoo scrunches her nose a little, her lips pursing as she thinks.

“It’s like… magic, I guess. It’s a little hard to explain, but for you, my dear Taehyung-ie, I will try my best,” she smiles gently, crinkles forming by her eyes. Taehyung smiles back, although sheepishly.

“A crush is like… okay, so you know when you’ve been away from home for a really long time and then you finally get to return and the first thing you do is collapse in your bed? And everything feels right, and you can’t imagine ever leaving home ever again? It can feel like that. It can feel like coming home, every time you see their face.”

“They’re the first person you want to tell things to, like a funny joke you heard or some good news you received, or even bad news. Even the most boring stuff, like how your day went. You just want to be around them all the time, because they make you happy,”

"You can see them every day of your entire life, but looking at them still gives you butterflies. Seeing them is like a breath of fresh air. It’s like opening a birthday gift. It’s like, the best day of your life every time you get to be around them,”

“I don’t know, Tae. It’s as simple and as complicated as that, I guess? And I think it’s different for everyone. But that’s how I feel about Sandeul-oppa.” Jisoo sighs, shrugging her shoulders before looking over at Taehyung with a glint in her eyes, a grin on her face.

“Why do you want to know? Does my Taehyung-ah have a _ crush?!” _

_Fuck. _

_Okay, time for damage control._

Taehyung thanks his lucky stars that it’s too dark to see the deep red blush spreading across his cheeks, because now he’s able to _ deny, deny, deny. _

“No! I was just curious, is all!” he yells, answering a little too quickly for his liking. Taehyung cringes at himself, and hopes Jisoo didn’t notice anything suspicious about his suspiciously fast response.

Jisoo did notice, and smiles to herself while thanking _ her _ lucky stars that Taehyung couldn’t see her smug expression. She keeps her realization to herself, though, thinking about all the ways she could bring it up later. At a better time. A time that wouldn't send her friend into yet another downward spiral. 

“Aish, it's getting late. Taehyung-ah. We’d better get going before our moms call the cops again, hey?” Jisoo says with a playful lilt in her voice. 

Taehyung snorts, “Yeah, probably. Wouldn’t want another summer full of _ fun _ at the Daycare, now would we?”

“Definitely not!” Jisoo chuckles, linking elbows with Taehyung as they begin their trek home, the sunset on its last legs before the dark of night takes over.

  
  


Taehyung flops onto his bed on his back, running his hands through his thick hair. Jisoo’s explanation made sense. _ Too _much sense. And it had made him realize something he quite honestly knew all along but didn’t want to deal with so he pushed it back, back, back into the farthest confines of his brain (as one does). But he could only avoid it for so long. And whether he liked it or not, it was time to deal with it.

_ Feels like coming home after a long day. Still gives you butterflies no matter how long you’ve known them. Every day you spend with them is the best day of your life. It’s as simple and as complicated as that. _

Jisoo’s words play through his mind on a loop, driving Taehyung a little bit crazy. 

He groans to himself, taking two fistfuls of his hair and giving them a tug before sitting up.

“Fucking _ Jisoo,” _he mumbles to himself, frowning. 

He had lied to her that night, as much as he hated to admit it. 

He had lied right to her face.

Taehyung did have a crush. And he couldn’t admit it to Jisoo, one of his best friends, for two big reasons: 

One, it would effectively out him as _ not straight _ , and he wasn’t ready for that conversation just yet. Because he hasn’t even really had that conversation with _himself. _

And two, how the _ fuck _ would he explain to Jisoo that he had a big fat man-crush on her _ cousin? _

Taehyung was in a pickle, no doubt about it. The feelings he was feeling were fucking terrifying and all-encompassing and a little bit suffocating, so Taehyung decided to do the one thing he knew how to do, for the second time that night.

He buried them deep, deep, deeper, all the way to the back of his mind. And then he went to sleep, hoping to forget everything by morning.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Before puberty took hold of the Kim trio, they had always slept in the same room when they’d have sleepovers, which were a very frequent event for the kids.

Now, there were rules they had to follow: no girls in boys’ beds and vice versa.

Taehyung couldn’t really be mad at that if he was being honest, even though Jisoo was more of a sister to him than anything else. This meant that he could spend quality time with his favorite hyung, something he’d been wanting to do for months, now.

After saying their good-nights to Eunha and Jisoo, the two boys found themselves in Seokjin’s bedroom with Taehyung sitting on the floor, Seokjin occupying the bed with Byeol curled up on his lap. Seokjin was off on a rant about something one of his teachers had said, and while Taehyung tried his best to focus on the words coming out of his hyung’s mouth, he couldn’t help but focus on Seokjin’s lips. His _lips, _ his pillowy, pink fucking _ lips _. Taehyung very briefly thinks about how they’d feel, how they might taste, before scrunching his nose in disgust at himself and attempting to re-focus on the conversation at hand.

“Mr. Sol is just… such an _ asshole _, Tae, I can’t even comprehend how much he sucks,” Seokjin whines dramatically, playing with the scruff around Byeol’s neck. Taehyung nods, like an idiot, and doesn’t say anything. Thankfully, Seokjin continues.

“He thinks I’m an idiot for wanting to take on the Sinnoh League, he thinks I should just _ give up _ and study, like, psychology or some shit. And then when I told him, _ no, I have no interest in psychology or anything like that _, he has the fucking audacity to LAUGH at me! And you know what he says next, Tae?” 

“No, what does he say next?”

“He goes, ‘right, you’re not _ that _ smart anyways’! Can you fucking _ believe?!?” _Seokjin all-but shouts, frustration clear in his voice. Taehyung’s jaw drops in disbelief, anger soon taking over.

He couldn’t believe someone, a teacher of all people, would say such horrible things to a student, never mind Kim Seokjin! The smartest, kindest, most _wonderful_ human being this side of Mount Coronet!

“Hyung, you don’t believe him, right?” Taehyung asks, studying Seokjin’s face. It was very slight, but Taehyung was certain that he saw not only hurt but insecurity, too in the elders eyes. His heart aches.

“I mean, he’s not _ wrong, _but-” 

“No, he’s definitely wrong. You’re plenty smart, and you’re great with Pokemon too. I bet he’s just jealous!” Taehyung interrupts, cringing internally at his word choice. He always sounds much more intelligent in his head.

Seokjin smiles, although weakly, “Jealous, huh? Jealous of what?” he implores, _something_ in his voice that Taehyung can't quite figure out.

Taehyung’s two functioning brain cells (both members of the Kim Seokjin Love Squad, apparently) take over at this point, much to the younger's dismay.

“Seokjin-hyung, you’re handsome and smart and good at everything!” he blurts out before he could stop himself.

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck, did I really just say that?!? _Taehyung curses himself and tries to come up with a quick save,

“Mr. Sol is a dumb rat-man. He sucks, nobody likes him. Want to go beat him up? Let’s beat him up. Or egg his house, maybe? Oh, no, even better- let’s egg _ him _!” Taehyung spits hastily, cringing internally.

_ “Or JuSt EgG HiM,” nice fucking save Taehyung. Absolute idiot. Fuck. _

Somehow his statement earned a laugh from Seokjin, setting his insides on fire. Taehyung can't help but laugh himself, and his mind flicks back to the night with Jisoo on the swings, what she said, and Taehyung’s heart begins to race.

Fucking Jisoo.

“Tae, I like the way you think. Let’s definitely go egg him!” Seokjin chuckles, his laugh going from windshield wiper squeaks to a soft giggle.

Taehyung smiles back, his heart racing even quicker as they make eye contact. Just then, a voice calls from outside Seokjin’s bedroom door.

“Lights out, kids! It’s a school night!” Eunha’s voice echoes around the house. It still baffled Taehyung that such a small woman could be so loud, but then again, that would explain Seokjin’s naturally deafening volume.

“'kay, goodnight, eomma!” Seokjin yells back just as loudly.

“Goodnight, eomma Kim!” Taehyung echoes his hyung at a lower volume, smiling at Seokjin. It’s a weird feeling, Taehyung thinks. He still doesn’t understand how he can feel so uneasy around Seokjin, but still so at home with him. Taehyung realizes that he doesn't understand a whole fucking lot of things.

“Taehyung-ah, can you turn off the light?” Seokjin interrupts, crawling under his covers. His voice drags the younger boy out of his spiraling, and Taehyung almost immediately obliges. He flicks off the light and clumsily makes his way towards Seokjin’s bed, yawning. 

It’s something that Taehyung thought for sure would stop happening as they got older, sleeping in the same bed as his hyung. But it hadn’t, and Taehyung was equal parts grateful and annoyed at the fact.

He crawls into bed, moving Byeol out of the way before assuming his regular position in “his spot”, the one closest to the wall. Byeol chirps and nestles in between the two boys, which Taehyung silently thanks the small critter for. 

Taehyung and Seokjin lay on their backs, side by side. Seokjin’s head is turned to face Taehyung. Taehyung wastes no time getting lost in his thoughts again, oblivious to the look on Seokjin's face.

This look, is more than just a look.

This look is a look of fondness, of wonder, of _ love. _

It’s vulnerable and terrifying and exciting all at once, and Seokjin is slightly relieved that Taehyung isn't paying attention, _too busy contemplating the universe, _Seokjin guesses, and he thanks whichever God is listening for this.

After all of the years they’ve spent as best friends, Seokjin knows exactly how Taehyung would react if he was aware of the way Seokjin was looking at him.

He knows that he’d get all flighty and nervous, that he’d get even deeper in his thoughts, and get _ The Look _ on his face and honestly, Jisoo was much better at pulling Taehyung out of the abyss that was his mind. Taehyung is completely oblivious, and so naturally, Seokjin takes advantage of that fact and studies the younger’s face.

He studies the way his nose swoops upward, the birthmark right on the tip of it. He tries to memorize the way his lips look in the darkness and the dim light of the moon- full, perfectly formed just like the rest of him. His messy, fluffy hair- soft, loose waves that frame his face. His collarbones, his shoulders, his eyes, just him, him, _him. _

He was perfect in every sense of the word, Seokjin was aware of this- almost painfully so. 

Once he had finished memorizing and mapping Taehyung as best as he could, it was time for Seokjin to get into his _own_ head.

You see, after Jisoo’s very, very long chat about how she felt about Sandeul something had clicked in Seokjin’s brain- something that was a little terrifying but not... entirely unexpected.

The way she talked about Sandeul was not unlike how he feels about the one, the only: Kim Taehyung. Seokjin had always known that he felt _ differently _ towards Taehyung compared to, say, Kyuhyun-hyung or any of his other male friends, but he hadn’t quite realized or really accepted it until that moment in the kitchen. He was extremely relieved when he had glanced at the boy sitting beside him and saw him to be very much out of it, therefore oblivious to Seokjin’s not-so-secret, very obvious reaction. Jisoo had noticed, because of course she did, and shot Seokjin a knowing look (the same look as the one she gave Taehyung at the park, in fact!), smug smile on her face as if to say, _ look who’s got the upper hand now. _Seokjin grimaces at the memory, making a mental note to stay on his cousin's good side.

What Jisoo had seen and Taehyung had been blind to, was how quickly Seokjin went from his usual cool, controlled self to an absolute nervous wreck- bouncing knees, sweaty palms... the textbook definition of anxiety. He began to stumble over his words, his smart comments suddenly sounding very, very dumb. All because Jisoo, his very sweet and _very_ _evil _cousin, had unintentionally helped him connect the dots in his head and lead him to a full-blown epiphany: he had fallen for Kim Taehyung. Like, full-on face-planted for Kim Taehyung. And he hadn’t realized it until just now.

As Seokjin finished mulling over these recent developments in his life, finally coming back down to earth, he nearly jumps out of his skin as he realized yet another thing: Kim Taehyung was now staring right into his soul. 

“You’re staring,” Taehyung rasps, voice gravelly from lack of use. Seokjin feels _something _ in his gut, something embarrassing and scary and _new (_and _hard_) that he forces himself to ignore for the moment. Because there is a time and a place to be horny for your best friend, and now was _ not _ the time.

“I, ah, zoned out. On your face, I guess. M’sorry,” Seokjin replies as intelligently as he possibly can, cringing at his less-than-stellar delivery. Taehyung nods in understanding, still not breaking eye contact with his hyung. The atmosphere hangs heavily around them, trapping them in the moment.

The two boys are both aware of the fact that this moment is _ horribly intimate: _them looking deep into the others’ eyes, straight to the soul, in a bed. Alone. Together. In silence.

They’re aware that it’s not a normal bro-moment. They’re _ very _aware that neither of them are necessarily looking away to end it. 

They are very unaware, however, of the fact that neither of them want to stop. They are completely fucking oblivious to the fact that they’re both feeling the same thing for each other- the same heat, the same fear, the same _ love. _

So they just… lay there, staring at each other in the quiet night for what feels like hours but also seconds at the same time.

Taehyung is the one to break the silence this time, clearing his throat.

“M’tired, we should probably sleep, yeah?” he says softly, just above a whisper. He’s so quiet that Seokjin wouldn’t have heard, had they not been so close.

Seokjin blinks slowly, trying to come back down to reality.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s do that. Sleep sounds good,” Seokjin stumbles over the words, flustered. His nerves have caught up to him, and Seokjin hates it. He hates how… affected he is by Taehyung, his _ dongsaeng, _ for fucks sake.

“‘Kay, good night hyung,”

“Good night, Taehyung-ah. Sweet dreams,” Seokjin yawns, watching Taehyung’s eyes flutter shut. _ His eyelashes, _ Seokjin notes, deciding they are worth memorizing as well. He ignores the desire to reach out and touch Taehyung’s cheek, to run his thumb across the bone. 

He tries so, so hard to resist wrapping his arms around him, and almost succumbs to the urge but manages to stay strong- or at least as strong as he could manage to be.

He does extend his right arm, reaches it behind the pillow under the younger’s head, and decides that this is okay, that he isn’t crossing any boundaries. He’s just stretching his arm out, it’s cool and it’s fine and there’s nothing wrong.

Seokjin takes a deep breath and tries to find something to ground him, to anchor him back to earth, lest he float off once again.

He tries and tries to find a touch-stone, failing again and again until he focuses on what was right next to him: the rhythm of Taehyung’s breaths- the way they began to slow and even out as he drifted into sleep.

Closing his eyes, Seokjin listened to the in, out, in, out of Taehyung’s breathing, and allowed them to lull him into a deep sleep of his own.

There they lay side by side, both deep in the clutches of sleep. At some point in the night, Byeol must have sauntered off from her position between the boys because Taehyung finds himself wrapped in the arms of Seokjin, the two sharing each other’s warmth. 

They stayed this way the entire night, both completely unaware of the position they were- in until morning came around, of course.

Seokjin woke first, slowly until he came to his senses and realized that, _ oh god, _he and Taehyung were _snuggling_. This did not bode well with his fresh new set of hormones. His heart pounded impossibly loudly as he tried to sneak away to take a cold shower before school, not calming its rhythm until he was under the spray. 

He crept back to his room after his shower hoping to find Taehyung still sleeping soundly in his bed, but was met instead by a messy-haired, puffy-faced Taehyung sitting upright, still half asleep, petting Byeol absent-mindedly.

“Morning, hyung.” Taehyung grumbles, voice rough from sleep, as he brings his hands up to his face to rub his eyes with a yawn.

Seokjin tries, he really fucking tries to ignore the way his heart swells in his chest. He tries to swallow it down, to hide his feelings behind his usual stoic mask, but he can’t this time. He lets a _ very _ fond, _ very _ obvious smile warm his face as he chuckles softly,

“Good morning, sunshine. You slept well, I see!” 

“Mmhmm, not well enough... Can I have 5 more minutes, hyung? Please?” 

_ You can have whatever you want, Taehyung-ah, _Seokjin says to himself, heart fluttering at the still-asleep gruffness of the younger’s voice.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll bring you some breakfast?”

“Ugh, you’re the best. Wake me in 10, ‘kay?” Taehyung mumbles, already falling back to sleep.

Seokjin shakes his head, trying his best to remove the lovey-dovey grin from his face. The reality was beginning to set in, the rose-colored glasses beginning to come off.

He was in far too deep, he knew this.

And he needed to get over whatever he felt, he knew this too. 

But for now, he just couldn’t bear to. He wanted to bask in this feeling, the warmth and wonder radiating from the deepest parts of his heart, just for a little bit. He wanted to pretend that this was something he had, or _could have one day._

And so he did- trying his best to ignore the tug on his heart and the voice in his head telling him that _it’s better to not feel these things, it’s never going to happen, _ even if it did appear to be the unfortunate truth.

If only he knew what was going on in the other boy’s head and in his heart, too. 

If only he knew how wrong he was.

Of course, he would _eventually_ find out- Taehyung would, too.

Years in the future, they’d realize how stupid, how fucking _ blind _ they had been. They'd realize how much they took for granted.

And they’d wish on every star, pray to every god that would listen, to bring them back to each other- to let them _ get it right this time. _

Fate has a funny (and often heartbreaking) way of working out.

This is something the two boys would become very aware of very soon, whether they were ready for it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!!! I had a lot of fun writing this, although I'm still not super thrilled with how it turned out. Does anyone else get like that? Like, fucking hating everything you create? I think it's probably super common.  
Anyways, here's chapter 4 all done and put away. :)  
Sorry for any formatting/spelling/grammar/etc mistakes! Please leave a comment or a like (or a kudos? i guess?), always open to constructive crits and compliments.
> 
> Thanks for sticking around and reading my stuff, it honestly means the world to me that 36 people have read this weird little brain-baby of mine. It's just so cool to me. Anyways. Stay tuned :) 
> 
> -Mads


	5. Sober

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> seokjin and jisoo take taehyung to his first high school party.  
things get a little out of hand.  
vodka makes taehyung confess, but not about what you think.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **this chapter contains ~underage drinking~ as well as some other teen shenanigans, and the following chapters will include mentions and descriptions of addiction and alcoholism. just thought i'd let y'all know.**

> _oh god i'm closing my teeth_
> 
> _around this liquor-wet lime_
> 
> _midnight, lose my mind_
> 
> _I know you're feeling it too._
> 
> _can we keep up with the ruse?_
> 
> _sober(lorde)_
> 
> * * *

_Solaceon Town, Sinnoh_

_5 Years Ago_

* * *

Even at sixteen, Taehyung was still… well, sheltered.

This was truly an amazing feat considering his friendship with the Chaos twins, who had become regulars of the local party scene to absolutely nobody’s surprise.

The invites had always been there for Taehyung, that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that he could never lie to his mother well enough to get away with actually _ going _.

Until now.

With the help of Chaotic Jisoo and Chaotic Seokjin, the trio had fabricated a nearly foolproof plan to finally get Kim Taehyung drunk for the first time. 

The key to success? Ensuring that Taehyung didn’t actually have to _lie _since that was the one thing he seemed to be incapable of doing. He simply had to tell his mother that he was going to spend the weekend with Jisoo and Seokjin’s, which _was _ the actual plan. He just omitted basically every other detail of said plan. 

After a quick confirmation with Eunha, Jiwon gave the green-light to her son who promptly ran to pack a bag for the days to come.

With Obstacle #1 cleared, only one other potential roadblock stood in their way: Kim Eunha’s Big Mouth.

Eunha lived to tease her kids- and Taehyung was no exception. She would never give up the chance to crack jokes about Taehyung’s first party experience, which would surely blow his cover with his mother because _ of course, _ they had to be best friends, too.

Luckily, the answer to their prayers came the day of the party in the (unfortunate) form of a very sick pokemon at the daycare- so sick that it required treatment at Hearthome Hospital. 

This meant that Eunha would be out of the house for the night, clearing Obstacle #2. She had even managed to convince Jiwon to make the journey with her, oddly enough. Jiwon had initially pushed back, uncomfortable with leaving the kids (and the Daycare) alone. 

Eunha had laughed at her friend, “For God’s sake, Jiwon. The kids are almost grown-ups, I think they’ll be fine.” she’d said, “besides, we deserve a little getaway from these little demons!” and who was Jiwon to disagree?

After a very quick rundown on what needed to be done at the Daycare in their absence, the two Kim mamas left for Hearthome with the sick pokemon, leaving the Kim trio to their own devices.

“Well, _ that _worked out surprisingly well?” Jisoo sounds skeptical, and honestly, Taehyung was a little wary, too. It _was _ pretty strange for their mothers to have left on _ this _weekend of all weekends, almost too weird to be purely coincidental.

Taehyung decides not to overthink it and just tries to be grateful that he has not one but _ two _ fewer things to worry about. 

Jisoo chews on her bottom lip, “D’you guys think they _ know? _ Maybe this is all a test?” 

Seokjin snorts at her question.

“We can worry about that later, Jisoo-yah. Let’s just be happy that we don’t have to climb out of any windows tonight, yeah?”

Jisoo nods, Seokjin’s words seem to calm her fears even if just a little bit. 

Taehyung is buzzing with anticipation. He’s been hearing stories from his friends about these parties for ages, and has seen almost every coming-of-age movie in existence. He couldn’t wait to finally have a story of his own to tell. He’s ready for this, ready to drink from the red plastic cups, to dance on tables with a lampshade on his head. He’s ready for it all.

Before he knows it, the sun begins to set and he gets goosebumps, because that meant that the day had finally come.

It was Friday night: the night of the party.

* * *

“Hyung, what’s a bush party?”

Taehyung tilts his head to the side, confused and puppy-like.

Not much had changed in the trio’s dynamic: Jisoo and Seokjin were still hell-bent on keeping Taehyung in the dark when it came to their plans, especially when it came to plans like this. The most they’d give him were vague descriptions and code-words he didn’t understand, which in Taehyung’s opinion, is worse than just not telling him at all.

But he wasn’t about to ruin their fun, and he figured that they might eventually snap and give him the answers he wanted so desperately if he kept pestering them with questions.

“Well, Taehyung-ah, it’s a party,”

Seokjin teases a half-answer, looking at Jisoo who immediately takes the bait.

“In a bush!” she giggles, high-fiving a squeaking Seokjin as they both dissolve into a fit of laughter.

Taehyung briefly wonders _ why _ he’s friends with such clowns, but can’t help smiling at his two friends. He loves to see them like this, loves to see them happy. Even if it was sometimes at his expense.

“Alright, got it. Party in a bush. Sounds scratchy, but I’ll roll with it.”

The cousins start to laugh even harder at Taehyung’s dry joke, and this time, he joins them. The Kim trio is at their best like this- when they’re laughing together and joking around. 

Taehyung forgets to savor the moment, positive that they’d be this way forever.

* * *

  
  


“Did you secure the bag, oppa?”

The three Kims sit in Seokjin’s bedroom with Jisoo cross-legged on the bed, Taehyung sprawled on the floor, and Seokjin stands at his closet searching it furiously, throwing its contents on the floor carelessly until he pulls out a backpack.

“The bag has indeed been secured!” Seokjin grins goofily.

_God, they are so annoying, _ Taehyung rolls his eyes to himself as he sits up to face Seokjin, who seems to be checking over the contents of the bag as discreetly as possible.

“What did we get this time?” Jisoo asks shifting onto her stomach, resting her chin in her hands. A mischevious smile is plastered on her face as she looks intently at her cousin, eager for his response.

“Well, we have some _ lemonade _ and two 6-packs of _ soda _ as usual, but we also have a bottle of _ ginger ale. _ To spice things up, since this is a special occasion!” Seokjin responds casually, and Taehyung groans.

_ These assholes are actually trying to speak in code. _

“You guys know you don’t have to hide _ everything _ from me, right? There’s no point in speaking in code if I know exactly what you’re talking about.” Taehyung complains, unable to stop himself from calling his friends out on their _ absolute buffoonery. _

“You have no idea what we’re talking about!” Seokjin shoots back, a mischevious look of his own creeping across his features.

“Yes I _ do, _ anyone could guess that you’re talking about _ alcohol.” _

“I have not a clue what you’re talking about!”

“Hyung, nobody takes _ lemonade _to a party!”

Seokjin snorts, “Okay, you got me there!” he chuckles before zipping up the backpack and slinging it around his shoulders. He takes a few steps towards Taehyung and then crouches in front of the sitting boy, looking straight into his eyes.

“Are you ready to have some fun, Taehyung-ah?” he claps a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, a serious look suddenly replacing the playful one he had on his face just seconds ago.

Taehyung stares back, deadpanning.

“I was born ready, _ hyung.” _Taehyung responds just as seriously, refusing to break eye contact.

Seokjin’s signature million-dollar smile returns to his face and Taehyung feels his heart flutter, prays it doesn’t show.

“Alright, cool guy. Let’s get it.”

Taehyung smiles back.

“Let’s fucking get it.”

Jisoo chirps a “let’s get it” of her own, not allowing herself to be forgotten, and the Kim trio does a final outfit-check before locking up the Daycare and making sure Byeol is safe in her Pokeball.

The butterflies in Taehyung’s stomach stir as he pulls on his Converse, as if to tell him to hold on to his hat, because he may be in for a wild night.

And, as always, his gut feeling would end up being one hundred percent correct.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


At this moment, there are four things of which Taehyung is certain of:

  1. > the party is close to Moonbyul’s place.

  2. > the party is in a bush (?). 

  3. > he is about to get drunk for the first time, and

  4. > there are no fireworks involved, thank _ god. _

Taehyung hears the click of the door lock as Seokjin turns the key in the latch before setting it under one of Eunha’s flower pots. The older boy then slides the backpack off his shoulders and opens it, taking out three cans Taehyung doesn’t recognize. He hands one to Jisoo, who promptly cracks it open and takes a long swig, and holds one out for Taehyung.

Taehyung’s brain decides to stop working in this moment, causing him to stare blankly at Seokjin, his eyes darting to the can being offered to him.

“Uh, Tae? You good?”

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck, _Taehyung curses himself, shaking his head in hopes of waking up his dipshit brain which, thankfully, seems to do the trick.

He extends and arm and grabs the can from the older boy,

“Yeah, sorry. Just… short-circuited a little there. What is this?” Taehyung asks, the night too dim for him to read the can.

“Road-pop. A pop for the road. You know?”

Taehyung definitely did not know.

“Oh. Right, I knew that. Thanks, hyung,” he lies, popping open the tab as he brings the can up to his nose to smell it. He’s expecting the wheaty, malty smell of beer, but is surprised when instead, he smells….

_ Pina colada?! _

He can’t believe it, he doesn’t believe it. There’s no way Seokjin managed to find fucking _ pina coladas _ in _ cans. _Cautiously, Taehyung decides to take a sip- and to his surprise (and delight!) he finds his suspicions to be proven _ true: _ he was indeed drinking a pina colada. Taken over by a force unknown, Taehyung tips his head back as he begins to chug the contents of the can, earning a look of wild happiness from Jisoo and a look of horror from Seokjin.

“Yah, Taehyung-ah! Slow it down, boss!” he scolds, worry evident on his face. Taehyung doesn’t understand, how could he understand? He’d never done this before. Taehyung pouts back at the older boy, “But hyung, it’s _ pina colada! _S’good!” he whines, sounding more childish than he had intended.

“It’s an _ alcoholic _pina colada, Taehyung-ah. I just want you to be safe, yeah? I don’t want to have to peel you off the ground at the end of the night!”

Taehyung nods in understanding, still pouting.

Seokjin hands him a second _ road-pop _, and Taehyung sips on it for the rest of the journey.

“Jisoo-yah, who are you texting so much?!” Seokjin questions as the trio walks, “You’ve been weirdly quiet all night, what’s up?”

It’s true, Jisoo doesn’t even try to deny it. She _ has _been quiet, save for the occasional half-baked comment and the tip-tapping of her fingers on the PokeNav keyboard.

“...Hm? Oh. It’s nobody oppa, just texting Byul-unnie and Bobby back. Byul-unnie’s wondering if we’re close?” she replies, her mind obviously somewhere else.

Taehyung cocks his eyebrow in surprise over hearing that Jisoo was texting his friend Bobby. He didn’t know they were _ that _ close. He swirls the remainder of his drink in his can before finishing it, his mind wandering to when he’s going to be able to have another.

“Ah, tell her we’re about 10 minutes away.” Seokjin chirps, not seeming to be as phased by Jisoo’s statement as Taehyung. 

They finish the first 6-pack just as they reach the party, allowing each Kim 2 drinks each. 

Taehyung is already feeling it he thinks, not sure whether he should be embarrassed at his seemingly low tolerance or not. His body is humming, and so warm- he barely feels the breeze in the air against his skin. He feels feather-light, like he would float away if he wasn’t currently hanging off of Seokjin.

_ His Seokjin. His anchor. _

The alcohol seems to have the largest effect on his brain, clouding his vision and making him all lovey and clingy- much more than he usually is. He’s not sure if he likes that partticular side-effect yet, but he also can’t find it in him to care right now. He just wants to hug his hyung.

_ Maybe give him a kiss _, the devil on Taehyung's shoulder suggests unhelpfully.

_ No, please shut up, _ Taehyung hisses back at the devil, now unable to get that thought out of his mind. He tries his best to shove it down into the deepest depths of his psyche, at least for the time being, because _ damn it, Taehyung wants to have fun. _ He doesn’t want to spend the entire party being horny for his hyung. 

They stop at the edge of the forest, a man-made path hidden in plain sight. Seokjin steps away from Taehyung, who frowns from the sudden loss of contact, looking at his hyung with the saddest puppy-dog eyes he could muster. 

Naturally, Seokjin does not notice this as he situates himself in front of a texting Jisoo and a pouting Taehyung. He takes a deep breath in, and claps his hands together.

“Okay. Lets set some ground rules, shall we?”

Jisoo looks up from her phone, slipping it in her jeans pocket and nods in agreement. Taehyung nods shortly after.

“First rule: safety first and second, coolness third. This means we drink _ responsibly, Jisoo,” _

Jisoo rolls her eyes at this, muttering under her breath about how she’s _ always responsible, oppa, geez, _before flashing a thumbs up at Seokjin.

“I’m serious. If I see anyone beer-bonging straight gin, I will kick their ass. Don’t think I won't”

_ Weirdly specific rule, _Taehyung thinks, but doesn’t comment on it.

Seokjin continues.

“Rule two: if _ anything _ happens to you that you’re not cool with, tell me _ immediately. _ Especially you, Tae. Don’t feel pressured to do anything, okay?”

Taehyung nods, not too concerned with this as he’s certain that he’ll be with Seokjin all night, and Seokjin-hyung would make sure he wouldn’t do anything he shouldn’t.

“And, finally: remember to mix in a fucking _ water, children. _Hangovers are hell on earth. We do not want them.”

“Are we all clear on the rules?” Seokjin finishes, looking pleased with his debriefing. 

Jisoo and Taehyung respond with a simultaneous _ yes, _ and Seokjin smiles before starting to walk again, signalling for his dongsaengs to follow. Taehyung and Jisoo look at each other and Taehyung _giggles_, an overwhelming giddiness taking over him because _this is it. _

_ He’s walking into his first-ever high school party. _

  
  


* * *

It’s crowded. 

Obviously it would be, it is a _ party, _ after all. For whatever reason, though, Taehyung wasn’t quite expecting _ this. _

There he stands, in a clearing of the forest just past Moonbyul’s house on route 209, the area lit only by camping lights, candles, glow-sticks, and the moon. There are fold-out tables littered with red plastic cups- just like the movies! And there are _ so _ many people, everyone Taehyung has ever even _heard of _is at this party. Solaceon is a small town, sure, but it is surrounded by a number of smaller settlements. 

All of which are part of the Solaceon party scene, apparently.

Taehyung looks around, excitement gleaming in his eyes. Jisoo unzips Seokjin’s backpack, grabbing the second 6 pack.

“Can me and Taehyungie take the 6-pack, oppa?” she asks sweetly, hoping to persuade her cousin with her cute charms.

Seokjin mumbles a quick _ yeah, yeah, of course, _ before waving at someone Taehyung can’t see, even if he squints. Jisoo doesn’t have a chance to say thank you before Seokjin trots away, yelling greetings at a group of his friends.

_ So much for spending the night with Jin-hyung, I guess, _ Taehyung thinks to himself, trying his best not to be _ too _ disappointed.

Jisoo hands him a drink and he wastes no time opening it, hastily taking a sip.

_ At least I have booze, _ he muses, _ and Jisoo, of course. _

Jisoo links her arm with his, leaning her head on Taehyung’s shoulder.

“I’m so happy you finally got to come out, Taehyungie.” she murmurs, smile evident in her voice. Taehyung rests his head atop hers, suddenly emotional at her heartfelt confession.

“Yeah, me t-”

The pair’s moment is interrupted when an unidentified projectile- no wait- an unidentified _ person _ flings themselves at Taehyung, trapping him in a wobbly hug.

“_ Taehyung-ieeeeeee, Taehyungiehyungiehyungieeeeee!” _

That voice, that raspy, crackly voice could only belong to one person.

_ Bobby. _

“Bobby, my friend! It’s good to see you, boss!” Taehyung laughs, trying his best not to fall with a very unstable, very drunk Bobby hanging off of him.

Taehyung’s hands find Bobby’s shoulders as he stands his friend up, steadying him.

“I’m s’happy to see youuuu, I missed you~” Bobby slurs, his cheeks a glowy pink,

“Ah, Jisoo-yah! Y’made it, when’d you get here?” he adds, apparently too drunk to notice that Jisoo and Taehyung had been _literally_ _hugging_ before he came and jumped on Tae.

She doesn’t seem to mind, though- the goofy smile on her face saying everything.

“Hi, Bobby. Just got here with Tae, actually,” she smiles shyly, her blush barely hidden by the night. 

“Well, I’m happy t’see you. And you, my man!” Bobby’s hammered, swaying slightly as he punctuates his sentence with a wave of the bottle in his hand,

“D’you want? C’mon, you want,” he giggles, holding the bottle out to Taehyung.

Taehyung shoots a look of panic at Jisoo, who nods as if to say, _ Go for it. _

And so, Taehyung goes for it.

He unscrews the cap and throws his head back, chugging until the burn in his throat becomes _too much_, swallowing the drink as a gag forms in his throat. He manages to choke that down too, allowing himself to _really _feel what was happening at that very moment.

It felt like magic. The acidic burn began to turn into something more pleasant, a small fire in the bottom of his belly whose warmth spread into his limbs, his cheeks. It’s a feeling that Taehyung wishes he had discovered sooner, this magical one taking over his very being. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he feels Pandora's Box is opened and he’s scared- but he doesn’t care right now, just wants more, more, more.

Taehyung is brought back to reality by Bobby’s loud voice, hooting and hollering about _how fuckin’ cool _Taehyung had looked just then, chugging what Bobby had called vodka “straight from the bottle, no chaser”, whatever that means. Jisoo was silently impressed too, raising her eyebrows as she takes a swig from Bobby’s vodka herself.

Taehyung rolls his tongue around his mouth trying to get rid of the aftertaste.

Jisoo smiles at Bobby as he leaves to, and this is a direct quote, “go take a fuckin’ piss”.

He’s so preoccupied with his full bladder that he forgets his bottle of vodka, now half-empty, with Jisoo and Taehyung.

Jisoo laughs, leaning her head on Taehyung’s shoulder once more.

“Drunk Bobby is kind of fuckin’ cool.”, she giggles softly, her arm threading with Taehyung’s as he leans his head on hers. He’s so happy, and he doesn’t know _why_, and he likes it. This kind of chaos is something Taehyung could get used to- something he _ wants _ to get used to. 

The devil on his shoulder asks for a drink, and who is Taehyung to deny the devil?

He slams the rest of his open pina colada, chasing it with a sip of vodka.

Jisoo snort-laughs before doing the same herself.

* * *

  
  


The night gets blurrier and blurrier between sips of Bobby’s vodka, along with whatever “shotgunning” a beer is, and Taehyung very vaguely remembers drinking from a weird contraption called a _ “ _beer bong”, he thinks. 

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice tells him to stop. And he knows he should, knows he should mix in a water. Because that’s what Seokjin told him, and…

_ Wait, _ Taehyung thinks to himself in a rare moment of clarity,

_ Where the fuck is Seokjin? _

He realizes he hasn’t seen his hyung since they first got to the party, and decides to ask Jisoo if she’s seen him even though he knows she hasn’t, considering they’ve been glued to each other the whole night.

“Wait, shit, yeah… I haven’t seen him either? Let’s go find him?” Jisoo asks, concern flashing in her eyes for a split-second. 

Taehyung nods and off they go, arm in arm, on a mission to find a very elusive Kim Seokjin in a very crowded party.

The pair stumbles around half-blindly, giggling with every misstep as they take turns drinking from the now almost-empty bottle of vodka, alternating with sips of pina colada until they see a crowd of upperclassmen- one of which they both recognize.

“Moonbyul-unnie!” Jisoo squeals, letting go of Taehyung as she takes off, the boy trailing behind.

The older girl turns to them with a sweet smile, welcoming the younger duo with open arms.

“My favorite Kims are here!” Moonbyul giggles, pulling the both of them into a tight hug, “Don’t tell Seokjin I said that, though.”

Taehyung smiles drunkenly into her shoulder, squeezing his arms around the older girl.

He loves Moonbyul, loves how kind she’s always been. Loves how great of a friend she is to Seokjin-hyung, loves how funny she is. He wishes he liked girls, because he would _definitely _ like Moonbyul, since she’s so warm and smells so nice and gives good hugs and- _ wait, hold on, where’d she go? _

_ Oh, fuck. _

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. _

_ He said that out loud, didn’t he? _

Taehyung looks at Moonbyul, which confirms it: his worst nightmare had just fucking happened.

_ Abort mission. _

_ Abort fucking mission. _

Taehyung is just about to take off running when he feels a hand on his shoulder- a hand belonging to Moonbyul. She has an unreadable expression on her face, quickly replaced by a casual one as she turns to face Jisoo.

“Jisoo-yah, can I steal Taehyung-ah for a minute? I think Sandeul-ie is looking for a beer pong partner,” she mentions to Jisoo coolly, who barely responds before beginning to power-walk towards the beer pong table, eager to flirt with Sandeul. As soon as Jisoo turns to leave, Taehyung feels himself being pulled by the wrist to what he hopes to be his execution. He is mildly disappointed when he and Moonbyul come to a secluded clearing, quiet save for the rustling of Spinarak and Weedle or the occasional chirp of a Swellow.

Moonbyul sits down the grass and signals Taehyung to do the same. The grass crinkles under his jeans, and he can’t remember grass being this _ soft. _He begins ripping chunks of it out of the ground, making a pile in front of him.

Moonbyul clears her throat.

“So,” she begins, “you definitely said that out loud, hey?”

Her voice is soft and comforting, a welcome surprise from what he had been expecting after such a confession.

He nods.

“I guess I did, huh?”

He tries his best to sound unaffected, but he can’t hide the wobble in his voice, can’t hide the fear.

The older girl exhales slowly, unsure of how to proceed. She studies Taehyung- looks him over once, twice, three times, before sighing and speaking up again.

“You don’t have to explain yourself if you aren’t ready, Tae. I just want you to know that… I’ve been there. In your position. I know how scary it is, feeling.... Differently, than you thought you would. About _that. _”

Taehyung’s heart begins to pound, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Just… I’m here for you. We’re in the same boat here, Taehyung-ah. It gets better, okay? Come out when you’re ready.”

_ Come out, _ the words echo in Taehyung’s booze-filled brain and the tears begin to fall because _ fuck _ , now its _ real, its out there, and he can’t take it back. He can’t pretend anymore. _

Between sniffles, Taehyung tries his best to speak clearly.

“I just… Noona, _ I haven’t even come out to myself yet, _” he manages to choke out, voice straining.

This confession seems to affect Moonbyul, like it forced a forgotten memory to come flooding back to her. She nods, squeezing her eyes shut, and for a brief second it seems like her calm composure might break, like she’s losing the fight against her falling tears.

“It’s just… a lot, you know?”

“Y-yeah… I do know.”

Taehyung sighs, looking up to the clear night sky as he blinks away his tears, trying to think of a way to lighten the mood. He could feel Moonbyul’s pain, the pain she’s trying so hard to hide, and his heart hurts for the older girl. She had always seemed so sure, so care-free, and although he feels like he knows her better now, he wants nothing more than to make her smile- even if just for a second. 

It’s one of his biggest flaws, how he takes other people’s pain on as his problem to solve, how he takes broken people and wants to fix them, how he cares for them more than he cares for himself.

It’s a flaw he’s completely unaware of.

“I guess drunk words _ are _ sober thoughts, hey noona?” he says, smiling at his friend. She smiles back weakly.

“Guess so, Taehyung-ah. Sorry that I got so weird just now, I just… remembered something I thought I’d forgotten. Shouldn’t have let it get to me, shouldn’t have made this about myself, I-”

“Don’t apologize, noona. I’m here for you too, you know. What are friends for?”

Moonbyul’s smile grows as she looks at the younger boy, seeing bits of herself in him. She wishes that 16-year-old Byul would’ve been able to have a conversation like this.

“You’re a really good kid, you know that?” she says warmly, shuffling closer to Taehyung before resting her head on his shoulder affectionately,

“and it does get better, I promise.”

Taehyung wraps an arm around Byul’s shoulders, pulling her into a side hug. 

They sit there in silence for what feels like hours, just… being there for each other, allowing tears to fall without judgment. It’s nice, Taehyung thinks, and he decides he wants to spend more time with Moonbyul. 

He tucks that thought away for Sober Taehyung, and ends the quiet moment between them.

“You won’t… don’t tell anyone, please.” 

Taehyung blurts out, his anxiety getting the best of him. 

Moonbyul chuckles softly.

“I would never dream of it, Tae,” she pulls away from him, looking deep into his eyes. He sees nothing but honesty in her eyes, and murmurs a quick _thank you. _

“Want to head back to the party? Jisoo’s probably missing her party pal,” Moonbyul gets up, dusting the grass off her pants before holding a hand out to Tae to help him up.

“Ah, yeah. I could use a drink anyways,” he replies, accepting her hand and allowing it to pull him to his feet. He looks at her, hand still in hers.

“Thanks again, noona. I hope we can talk like this again in the future,”

“I hope so, too.”

They smile at each other and walk back to the party in silence, arm in arm.   
  


Taehyung and Moonbyul go their separate ways after exchanging numbers and one last hug, leaving Taehyung alone to find Jisoo. Luckily, the alcohol in her system amplifies her already-loud voice and laugh, making it relatively easy to track her down. 

He ends up finding her in a group of senior guys, Jisoo the only girl in the bunch. Taehyung’s mild horror is quickly replaced with relief, though, when Jisoo immediately squeals and throws her arms around him the moment she realizes who he is.

“_Taehyungieeeee,” _she slurs, pressing a hundred wet kisses all over Taehyung’s face, “Missed you, missed you, missed youuuu~” Jisoo punctuates her words with cheek kisses, pulling away once she’s done.

“Where'd you go with Byul-unnie?”

Taehyung tenses up, not wanting to get into this conversation right now.

“Oh, y’know. Just around, I s’pose.” he responds, hoping to sound casual enough that Jisoo will let this go. Luckily Jisoo seems satisfied with his answer, humming in acknowledgment.

She had suddenly, apparently, drifted off into her own world, her mind occupied on something.

“Tae, d’you know where Bobby is? S’go find Bobby,”

Jisoo doesn’t wait for an answer before pulling Taehyung by the arm and dragging him towards the beer pong tables, leaving the group of older boys glaring at Taehyung. Taehyung is too drunk to do anything but giggle uselessly at their expressions, stumbling along as best as he can. He’s not sure how Jisoo managed to become _ more _ impulsive than she usually is, but Jisoo has always been full of surprises he supposes.

The two are approaching beer pong tables when Jisoo mentions something offhandedly about how she misses her _ Seokjinnie-oppa _, which brings Taehyung to a horrible, horrible realization. 

He still has no idea where Seokjin is.

He could be dead, or dying, or sad, or sick- the possibilities are endless, and Taehyung's mind begins to race.

Panic begins to set in, something like a pit of snakes forms in his stomach- writhing, wriggling, slithering, but he doesn’t even have time to _ really feel _ the panic because-

**IT’S BOBBY TIME!**

_ Apparently, it’s Bobby time. _

“What the fuck is ‘Bobby Time’?” Taehyung asks Jisoo, who ignores him in favor of wandering into a small crowd that has formed around the beer pong tables, pulling him along.

The devil on Taehyung’s shoulder laughs and says, “You gon’ learn today, child,”

And learn he did.

According to the scene unfolding before his eyes, _ Bobby Time _ is when you (in this case, Bobby) get piss-pants drunk, take your shirt off, and climb the tree nearest a beer pong table. 

Once you’re in the tree, you pull a bottle of red wine from your deceivingly large pants-pocket and you _ fucking chug it. _Okay? So, after you successfully slam the bottle of wine, it’s time for you to scream _ at the top of your lungs. _

But you aren’t going to scream just _ anything, _ fuck no, baby.

Because this is Bobby Time. And you need _ everyone _to know, so that’s what you’re going to scream.

Now, if you haven’t attracted a crowd with your shirtless tree-climbing and wine chug, you will surely attract one when you yell “It’s Bobby Time” with your whole chest.

And the crowd, naturally, will go _ fucking wild _.

When they go wild, it is Time.

Time for what, you ask? Time to jump from the tree you’re in.

Jump where? Onto the beer pong table nearest the tree.

Why? To fucking Crush It.

That, my dear friend, is Bobby Time.

Taehyung isn’t quite sure what to think about Bobby Time. If anything, he’s mostly impressed that such a skinny, lanky kid could break a _fucking table_ in half with his body.

He’s also pretty impressed with the size of the crowd that he had accumulated- the party was going absolutely bonkers over Bobby Time.

Jisoo included. The girl was cheering like she was getting paid to do it, arms raised in the air, a bottle of liquor in hand. She takes a long drink before turning to face Taehyung.

“Did you fucking see that, Taehyungie?” she yells, her smile reaching her eyes, “Bobby is the _ fucking coolest!” _

“That definitely was something, noona,” he smiles back, still trying to process what he had just witnessed.

Jisoo’s face brightens even more as a shirtless figure emerges from the cheering crowd, approaching the two friends. 

Who else could it be but Bobby himself?

“Well, if it isn’t the life of the party!” Taehyung snorts, amazed that his friend is still able to stand after his, uh, _ performance. _

“Bobby Time is a real crowd-pleaser, what can I say?” Bobby chuckles, pulling Taehyung in for a quick bro-hug. 

Jisoo stands there staring at Bobby like he’s an idol or God or something.

“You’re like… totally fucking amazing, Bobby,” she smiles shyly, unable to look at anything besides her dirt-covered shoes. Bobby turns to face her, still grinning as he turns away from Taehyung to face Jisoo. 

The atmosphere changes suddenly, and Taehyung feels like he’s not supposed to be there.

“You think so, Jisoo-yah?” Bobby’s voice drops into something more sultry as he steps closer to the girl, gently resting his hands on the curve of her waist. 

Jisoo nods as she bites her lip, leaning into Bobby’s touch as their bodies slowly move into each other.

Taehyung _ definitely _ isn’t supposed to be here, he thinks. But, for reasons unknown, he stays.

“You’re not so bad yourself, pretty girl,” Bobby says to Jisoo, so quiet Taehyung barely hears it. Jisoo smiles, her hooded eyes flicker down to Bobby’s lips before fluttering shut.

Bobby moves one hand to the back of Jisoo’s neck and- _okay, wow, fuck,_ Taehyung’s two friends are suddenly kissing.

In front of him.

Taehyung’s body betrays him and he’s frozen, unable to look away.

The devil on his shoulder laughs wildly, _ “it’s like a fucking trainwreck! You can’t look away no matter how bad you want to!” _

The angel occupying his other shoulder tuts, averting its eyes. “You really shouldn’t be watching this, you know,”

Taehyung snaps out of his daze as Bobby’s hand moves from Jisoo’s waist to her ass, _ thank fuck, _and decides to make a swift exit.

“...Alright, I’m gonna. Head out, probably,” he says like an idiot, unable to stop himself.

“Have fun kissing! Bye!” Taehyung turns on his heels, not waiting for any sort of acknowledgment from Jisoo nor the Bobby attached to her as he promptly _gets the fuck out of there_ like a man on a mission.

Because, he _ was _ a man on a mission. Two missions, actually, now that he thinks about it.

Mission number one: acquire alcohol. Because fuck, he needs a drink. Or twelve.

And mission number two: locate Seokjin.

Because he had missed probably the most _ chaotic _ moments of the party and probably also Taehyung's life.

And, Taehyung misses his hyung a little bit. Or maybe a lot, although he would never admit to _ that, _no matter how drunk he is.

So, Taehyung walks around the party hoping to find Moonbyul or someone else he recognizes without much success, until he finally bumps into a familiar face- literally.

It’s not either person he _ wants _to see, but it’s damn near close enough.

“Ah, fuck, I’m so sorr- oh, hey! It’s Taehyung!”

“Sandeul-hyung! I’ve been looking for you!” Taehyung lies drunkenly, smiling at Seokjin’s friend. Sandeul smiles back warmly, and Taehyung is suddenly struck by how _ cute _ he is. Has he always been this cute? Taehyung doesn’t know. Taehyung just wants Seokjin and another drink.

“You were looking for little old _ me?!” _Sandeul gasps dramatically, fanning himself with his hand. 

_ Fucking adorable _, Taehyung thinks.

“To what do I owe such pleasure?”

“I was hoping you could help me find Seokjin-hyung? Jisoo’s a little, uh, busy at the moment and I haven’t seen him all night so-”

Sandeul stops him, holding a finger up to Taehyung’s lips.

_ Okay, so, Sandeul-hyung is hammered, _Taehyung giggles to himself. He can’t help but be a little enamored by his hyung’s friend, despite his best efforts.

“Say no more, let me think for a sec…” Sandeul purses his lips, searching for some kind of answer before his face lights up.

“Ah, I remember! Last I saw, he was….” he turns his body around, scanning his surroundings,

“Found him! Right there! With Hyejin!” Sandeul announces, smiling smugly.

Taehyung turns to match Sandeul’s position with a smile on his face, excited to have finally found his hyung, and then he _ sees. _The butterflies in his stomach turn to lead, and his heart drops so far down that it threatens to fall right out of Taehyung’s ass.

Because there stands Seokjin, tall and handsome as ever, his oversized pink hoodie making him look _so soft_.

And beside him, no- _against him_, stands a girl, whose arm is slung around his waist.

They look... close. _Too _close.

_Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, this was extremely fun to write.  
I hope it was equally as fun to read!
> 
> believe it or not, it was supposed to be longer but I decided to split it into two chapters. part two should be up pretty soon.  
I figure we have about 3 chapters left!!  
thank you guys so much for reading, I honestly get so giddy seeing the hit counter go up. never knew that sharing my work could be so exciting.
> 
> fun fact: bobby time is (loosely) based on something I actually witnessed with my own two eyeballs at a party I attended in my junior year of high school. except there was no tree, and he didn't smash a table with his body. I took some creative liberties there.
> 
> aaaanyways, stay tuned! <3


	6. Sober II (Melodrama)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> taehyung's coping mechanisms continue to suck.  
seokjin falls hard, and then falls apart.  
taehyung is there to pick up the pieces.

> _lights are on and they've gone home,_
> 
> _but who am i?_
> 
> _(oh how fast the evening passes_
> 
> _cleaning up the champagne glasses)_
> 
> _sober II (lorde)_

* * *

_Solaceon Town, Sinnoh_

_5 years ago_

* * *

Standing beside Seokjin, pressed into his side with an arm slung around his waist, is a girl who Taehyung definitely recognizes even with the haze the alcohol has cast over his vision.

_ Ahn Hyejin. _

_ Fucking Ahn Hyejin. _

He had known Hyejin nearly his entire life. They were the same age and always seemed to end up in the same class growing up. She was by no means someone Taehyung disliked- not at all, actually. He had considered her a friend, up until this very moment of course. That’s over, the friendship officially cancelled. 

Taehyung scowls, unable to take his eyes off the two- who were now _ laughing together, _and begins picking every piece of Hyejin apart in his head. He’s decided that he hates her for these reasons: she’s too short, and her laugh is too loud, and her hair is too long, and she’s _ pretty _but in a way that Taehyung thinks is ugly somehow. He hates her so much. 

Sandeul interrupts Taehyung’s internal Hyejin Hate Party with a very unhelpful comment.

“Since when is _ that _ a thing?” he muses as he pulls a beer from his backpack, offering it to Taehyung. Somehow, Sandeul is oblivious to the palpable anger Taehyung is certain are radiating from his very core at the moment. Taehyung shrugs and accepts the beer, cracking it open.

“Dunno.”

Because he didn’t know it was a thing. He’s sure it _ isn’t _ a thing- if it was, he would have known about it… right?

His mind begins to race, he closes his eyes, picking apart every little thing possible and making it into a very _ big, very bad _ thing.

As Taehyung is beginning to spiral in the middle of a fucking party, he opens his eyes and looks towards Seokjin and Hyejin again and- _ fuck, fuck, fuck, they’re kissing. _

_ Okay. Breathe. Try to ignore the feeling of your heart breaking, and definitely do not let yourself fucking cry, _Taehyung curses at himself.

He ignores another very unhelpful observation from Sandeul (“his Seokjinnie is finally getting some _ action!” like, shut up, please) _ and tries to drown his thoughts, chugging his beer. Crushing the now-empty can and throwing it on the ground, Taehyung burps long and loud.

The devil on his shoulder cackles, “Another one! Drink another one!”

And what’s Taehyung supposed to do, say no to the devil?

“You got anything stronger, hyung?”

Sandeul is either very impressed, disgusted, concerned, or all of the above. Taehyung is too drunk to know, and too heartbroken to care.

“Yeah,‘course I do. Want a drink?”

Taehyung laughs at this, because _ obviously he wants a fucking drink. _ The look he gives the older boy must have said it all because almost immediately, Sandeul is reaching into his pants pocket and pulls out a bottle, handing it to Taehyung.The bottle is still mostly full, its blue contents slosh around as Taehyung reads the label.

_ Hypno-tiq, _ it’s called- a cartoon Hypno on the label stares back at Taehyung. Somehow it feels like there’s a real Hypno staring into his soul, which freaks him out so he deals with it the only way he can think of- he unscrews the cap and starts to _ chug _.

If Sandeul wasn’t impressed/disgusted/concerned before, he certainly was now. Taehyung still can’t find it in him to care, because he had looked over to Seokjin and Hyejin mid-chug and saw them _sneaking off into the forest, hand in hand. _ As sheltered as Taehyung may be, he still knows _exactly _ what’s about to happen. He doesn’t want to think about it anymore. He just wants to drink.

And so, that is exactly what he does.

The last thing he _ clearly _remembers is the look on Sandeul’s face when the younger goes, 

“Bottoms up, hyung!” and proceeds to _ finish the entire bottle of Hypni-tiq in one go _. 

Then, everything fades to black.

* * *

  
  


He wakes up on Kim Eunha’s couch in the flannel he wore to the party and his underwear, his mouth is bone-dry, and he feels like he’s fucking _ dying. _Taehyung opens his eyes to blinding light, and immediately closes them.

_What the fuck happened last night?_

He curls into a ball, combing through his very limited memory of the night before. He groans when suddenly the _ very vivid _ , _ very personal _ moment he had with Moonbyul pops into his head, and prays that she was too drunk to remember that he had fucking _ accidentally come out to her. _

“Morning, sleepyhead!” Jisoo chirps from the chair on which she’s perched. 

Taehyung nearly jumps out of his skin.

“Seokjinnie-oppa’s making breakfast. Come help me set the table!” 

Even the _ idea _ of moving makes Taehyung want to throw up.

“Nope. I am dying. Please don’t make me move,” 

Jisoo scoffs.

“Aish, child. Don’t be so dramatic, you're fine. Come, up you get!” 

Taehyung groans as he feels Jisoo’s hand circle his wrist, pulling him up to his feet. On wobbly legs, he takes a few steps before he comes to the realization that he is definitely still drunk.

_God,_ _everything hurts._

After making it to the kitchen and greeting a cheery yet puffy-faced Seokjin with a grunt, Taehyung and Jisoo make quick work of setting the table before sitting down. Taehyung rests his head on the cool wood, hands in his hair as he tries to recall the night before.

“Is it normal to like, not remember a goddamn thing? Am I broken?” he whines, voice muffled by the table beneath him.

“Very normal, Taehyungie. That’s why we’re having breakfast!” Jisoo explains very matter-of-factly, tapping away on her PokeNav.

He picks his head up from the table to look at the girl in confusion, not understanding the correlation between those two things, like, _ at all. _

“We’re having breakfast because we can’t remember the party?”

This earns a laugh from both Jisoo and Seokjin.

“No, dummy. We’re going to share what we _ do _ remember! Over pancakes!”

_ Ah. _

“Okay, yes. That makes more sense.”

Taehyung puts his head back on the table and closes his eyes until Seokjin sets down the very impressive breakfast spread he had conjured up.

The trio is reunited at last, puffy-eyed and dehydrated but somehow still (mostly) smiling. Jisoo and Seokjin fill each other in on what the other had missed, laughing hysterically at the stories told. Taehyung sits in silence, moving his food around his plate absent-mindedly. Sometimes, he’d crack a smile at Jisoo. He couldn’t get himself to look at Seokjin.

“Aw, man! I missed out on Bobby Time?! Where the fuck was I!” Seokjin wheezes, throwing his head back in laughter. 

Taehyung’s resolve snaps.

“You were probably off with _ Hyejin.” _Taehyung spits, her name leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He knows how he sounds- upset, probably jealous, but much like the night before, he is far beyond caring.

The kitchen goes quiet and the atmosphere becomes heavier. Jisoo looks at Taehyung softly and gives him a knowing smile, although Taehyung isn’t sure exactly _ what _she knows.

She then looks at Seokjin, knitting her brows together, her expression unreadable. 

Cocking her head to the side, Jisoo raises an eyebrow expectantly as if to give Seokjin a chance to explain before she goes full interrogation-mode.

It is a chance he does not take, instead letting out a deep sigh, knowing all too well what was about to happen.

“Hyejin?!_ ” _Jisoo shrieks, causing the boys to flinch.

Taehyung feels ill.

Seokjin smiles shyly before burying his head in his hands.

“I… yeah, we just hit it off, I guess? She’s really cool and sweet, we’re actually meeting up at the park later today…” he explains meekly, turning a pretty shade of pink. 

The smile he wears is one that would normally melt Taehyung’s heart, turn him into jelly, but today… Today, it just reopens his wounds, spreads salt in them. His smile _ hurts_, and the fact that he’s meeting her _at their special spot, _the park, only deepens the ache.

Jisoo, forever the busybody, tries to pry further.

“Are you dating? Are you in love?” she prods, but Seokjin does not budge. 

Instead, he decides to counterattack.

“Jisoo-yah. I heard you had a little Bobby Time of your own last night! How was _ that? _”

Seokjin fires back with a waggle of his eyebrows, and Taehyung tries not to laugh, he _ really _tries, but Jisoo’s reaction sends him over the edge.

She looks _ mortified. _

“Who told you that?!” she snaps, voice shrill.

Taehyung and Seokjin dissolve into hysterics, Jisoo stuttering as she tries (and fails) to formulate something snarky to say. 

Instead, she resorts to rolling her eyes at the boys and excuses herself to the bathroom, leaving Taehyung and Seokjin behind in a very uncomfortable silence. A silence that neither boy seems to want to break. 

It’s a battle of wits, and Taehyung isn’t about to lose.

Seokjin sighs as he gives in, opening his mouth to speak. Taehyung holds his breath.

“You saw that, huh?”

Taehyung nods, eyes cast downwards. He still can’t look him in the eyes, and it breaks Seokjin’s heart a little bit. It shows on his face, because he’s a goddamn open book, and Seokjin’s broken heart only breaks Taehyung’s more- a truly vicious cycle. 

“She’s really nice, Tae. I like her. A lot.”

Seokjin swallows hard, anxiety cracking through his usual composure,

“Please be okay with this. I don’t want to lose you,”

Taehyung looks up upon hearing the last sentence, his honey-brown eyes meeting Seokjin’s kind chocolate ones. He knows how he must look right now, knows that Seokjin can read him just as well as he can read Seokjin. 

And in a way, he’s grateful. He _ wants _ Seokjin to know how he feels. Which, he doesn’t _ really _ understand, but the desire is too strong to ignore. Being able to just _ know _ what the other is feeling is both a blessing and a curse of being best friends for so long. Another curse of such a long, loving friendship is how hard it is to stay upset with them. 

_ “ _ I’m just… _ You won’t forget about me, right?” _

It comes out softer than Taehyung had hoped, his voice cracking at the end. He cringes at how weak he feels, how pathetic he is for being so upset over such a silly thing. 

Seokjin smiles sadly but kindly, Taehyung’s heart cracks again.

“I could never forget you, Taehyung-ah.” 

The kitchen is silent- no silent you could hear a pin drop. Seokjin’s sincerity hangs heavy above their heads like a guillotine. Taehyung lets out the breath he had been holding, allowing his body to relax. 

Seokjin, his sweet Seokjin, always knew exactly what to say in every situation. He could always bring Taehyung back down to earth, he was his anchor. His rock.

And he knows he would fall apart without him.

It is at this moment, for what feels like the first time in his life, that Taehyung decides to do the right thing.

“I’ll try, hyung.”

_ As long as I get to keep a part of you, I’ll be okay. _

The words die on his tongue, as he can’t find it in him to be so bold. Not yet, at least.

Seokjin smiles for real this time, and Taehyung tries his best to do the same. 

“What are you two clowns smiling at?” Jisoo, of course, interrupts their moment, and they snap back to reality. It was now Taehyung’s opportunity to strike.

“Oh, you know. Just thinking about you and _ Bobby. _” 

Taehyung teases, cheeky grin on his face. Jisoo covers her face with her hands in an attempt to hide the smile she can’t contain and the blush that forces its way across her cheeks.

“Shut _ up! I hate you both!” _Jisoo feigns anger, but she’s unable to keep a straight face and bursts into laughter, causing the boys to do the same.

The three are giggling around Kim Eunha’s kitchen table, and it feels like the balance is finally restored. Taehyung tries to savor this moment, as something deep inside him seemed to know that everything was about to change- and he was almost sure it wasn’t about to change for the better.

And, for once in his life, Taehyung prays to be wrong.

* * *

It’s a curse, really, the way Taehyung always seems to be right. 

He hates it, he truly does. Especially when it comes to your best friend who is also your hyung that you’ve low-key (read: high-key) been in love with for what feels like your entire life getting a _ girlfriend _ of all things.

It’s a kick to the balls, to say the very least. When you add in the fact that Jisoo and Bobby, his other best friends, started dating each other as well? Taehyung was Straight Up Not Having A Good Time.

But, if he’s being honest with himself, it wasn’t the _ absolute _ worst. Like, he didn’t die or whatever(although he did want to for a while there, classic angsty teen business).

In some ways, it was a blessing- it gave him an opportunity to focus on schoolwork, make new friends, and allowed him more time to persuade his mom into letting him adopt the teddyursa he’d been taking care of at the Daycare (“Your birthday is coming, Taehyung-ah,” she’d said).

Hell, he’s even gone on a _ date. _

Okay, it _ was _ a date with a girl. And it was a double date. A double date he was low-key _forced _ into going on by Seokjin and Hyejin, but it wasn’t as bad as Taehyung had anticipated.

In fact, he had met a new best friend (and future roommate) that night- Jung Wheein, Hyejin’s best friend. Wheein was (and continues to be!) a tiny little thing whose personality made up for whatever she lacked in height- proving that the smallest peppers truly are the spiciest. 

Plus, she wasn’t into guys. Like, at all.

After discovering that both of them swung the other way, it was all downhill from there- they became each other’s go-to, since their former go-to’s were, you know, dating. They were a match made in semi-closeted gay heaven.

But, it was still hard sometimes. 

Taehyung would still wake up in the middle of the night after a less-than-appropriate dream about a certain hyung to a mess in his shorts, which was mildly horrifying and humiliating even though nobody ever witnessed it.

Jisoo, who apparently is an all-knowing entity of knowledge, would sometimes pull him aside when Hyejin was around and ask, “Are you ok? Should we go to the park?” and Taehyung would have to lie (which, in case you forgot: he _ couldn’t fucking do to save his life) _and say, “I’m fine, just tired.” 

Jisoo knew he was full of shit, he was sure of it. But she never called him out on his lies. She’d just give him a tight-lipped smile, and a pat on the shoulder before disappearing to hang out with Bobby. His stomach would twist and turn into knots when he’d see Hyejin and Seokjin hold hands, and he’d taste bile in his mouth every time he caught a glimpse of a kiss goodbye.

God, the first time he heard them say, “I love you,” he had almost thrown up right then and there.  
“It’s only been, like, 4 months!” he remembers saying, thinly veiled disgust in his voice. 

Seokjin had just shrugged, dopey grin on his face.

_ That should be you making him smile like an idiot, _ whispered the devil on Taehyung’s shoulder.

_ Shut the fuck up, _Taehyung would whisper back.

It was hell on earth, but he did get through it relatively unscarred.

Around the six month mark of Hyejin and Seokjin’s relationship, Taehyung was finally _ truly _ starting to be okay. He had finally cried all his tears, had felt every negative emotion for like, six months straight. 

And now finally, _ finally _ he was starting to feel the sun again. He had found a new normal, and he was almost excited about what would come next.

Unfortunately for Tae, his life was about to be flipped upside-down once again, erasing all the progress he had made.

In hindsight, he knows he should have seen it coming.

Fate is a cruel old hag with a horrible sense of humor, after all.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Taehyung had seen Seokjin cry hundreds of times over the past decade of friendship. 

Out of the three Kims, the eldest was probably the one who cried the most- despite his best efforts. Seokjin was a sensitive, sweet kid- Taehyung loved that about him.

He had been there for his hyung so many times that he knew exactly how to comfort him, when to give him space, when to hug him tight. Taehyung had it down to a science, or so he had thought.

Tonight, it was different. 

Taehyung felt completely out of his depth.

This was unlike any other time he had been there for.

This was _ worse. _

Taehyung can’t remember his hyung looking so _ small, _ so fragile, so fucking _ broken_.

The older boy is curled up in his bed in a cocoon of blankets, Byeol sitting guard at his feet. His eyes are swollen, face a shade of red that almost hurts to look at.

He looks tired. He looks helpless. 

Taehyung _ aches _when they lock eyes- seeing Seokjin, his strong, kind Seokjin-hyung like this… it breaks his heart in a way he didn’t think possible.

Not a word is exchanged between the two as Taehyung makes his way towards the bed, his body moving on its own like he’s being pulled by a string by some unknown force. 

_ Fate. _

The word flashes clear in his mind for only a second, so quick it’s forgotten.

Byeol chirps softly before moving from Seokjin’s feet, the both of them making room for Taehyung to lay down on the side closest to the wall.

_ His spot. _

He crawls very ungracefully onto the bed beside Seokjin.

It doesn’t feel right to Taehyung to get under the covers, so he sits on top of them with his back up against the wall. Seokjin looks at him, puzzled, before tugging the blankets down as if to say, 

_ Come here, I need you closer. _

Taehyung obliges, shuffling clumsily onto his side as Seokjin pulls the covers over them, turning on his side to face the younger boy.

“Hyung, are you okay?” Taehyung asks like an idiot, because Seokjin _ very clearly is not okay. _

Seokjin sniffles and shakes his head no, fresh tears welling up in his sweet honey-brown eyes.

He takes a shaky breath in,

“I loved her, I really think I loved her,” he whispers, trying _ so _hard not to cry, before giving in and allowing sobs to tear through his body, shaking his frame.

Taehyung is kind of at a loss here, to be honest. He had never seen anything like this before, he had no way to prepare. So he decides to leave it up to fate and biology, and lets instinct take over.

Gently and very, very slowly, Taehyung moves. His arms find their way around a heaving torso, his chin rests atop a bed of messy hair. He pulls Seokjin close, close, closer, wanting him to feel safe and warm and _ fucking loved. _

Seokjin sighs into Taehyung’s hold, wrapping his own arms around Tae’s narrow waist and nestling his face into Taehyung’s chest. 

He pretends he can’t hear the way the younger’s heart pounds, and prays that his own runaway heartbeat isn’t noticeable either.

“D’you want to talk about it?” Taehyung asks cautiously, not wanting to pry too hard despite being _ horribly, morbidly _curious.

Seokjin shakes his head no, not wanting to cry anymore.

“Okay, hyung. D’you… want to sleep? You look like hell.”

Seokjin snort-laughs, a small smile forcing itself onto his face for the first time in what feels like forever.

“Yeah, ‘m tired.”

“Mmm, ‘kay. You okay like this? Comfy? I can move if you-”

Seokjin shakes his head again vigorously this time, and throws his leg across Taehyung’s lap.

“_Please don’t leave me,” _

The words leave Seokjin’s mouth before he can stop them, but once they’re out in the open, he doesn’t feel the overwhelming embarrassment and regret that he thought he would.

The words feel… right. Everything feels right.

Taehyung whispers a soft “_ okay, I won’t” _into Seokjin’s hair and reaches a hand up to run his hand through it, pushing it away from his face. 

He hadn’t noticed how _ long _ it’s gotten, how good it looks all messy like this. Just as he’s about to drift into daydream-land, Taehyung realizes how close their faces are.

And that Seokjin is looking up into his eyes. 

Instinct takes over once again, forcing Taehyung’s eyes where they _ definitely should not go: _ Seokjin’s perfect, pink (currently chapped) lips. 

_ Fuck. _

_ Abort mission. _

Taehyung panics and does something ridiculous: he _ kisses Seokjin on the forehead and goes, “shhhhh. S’okay. Sleep time.” _ and _ pats his shoulder _before promptly returning his chin to it’s initial home on top of Seokjin’s head, pulling him onto his chest.

Seokjin, almost deliriously sleepy, decides not to analyze what had just happened (although the feeling of Taehyung’s lips on his skin burns up his insides in a way that Hyejin’s never did) and closes his eyes, drifting to sleep quickly. Taehyung takes a deep breath, trying to match Seokjin’s rhythm in an attempt to calm his mind, but it just won’t stop fucking _ racing. _

He can’t stop thinking about how Hyejin broke his hyung’s heart, about what the fuck she even _ did, _and makes a note to definitely text Wheein about it tomorrow.

He can’t stop thinking about how it physically hurt to hee Seokjin look so helpless, so hopeless, so _ alone. _

And he can’t stop thinking about how he never, ever wants to see him hurt like this ever again. 

So, when he’s sure Seokjin is dead asleep, Taehyung makes a promise to both himself and his sleeping hyung.

_ I will never, ever let you feel like this again, Seokjin-hyung. _

_ You’ll always have me, okay? _

_ I promise I’ll never leave your side. _

_ I promise I’ll be here forever. _

_ I promise, I promise, I promise. _

He whispers these words into Seokjin’s hair, threading his fingers between Seokjin’s and giving his hand a squeeze. Taehyung’s eyes flutter shut, and just before he allows sleep to take over, he presses his lips to the crown of Seokjin’s head in a gentle kiss.

The two boys sleep better than they had in what felt like forever, tangled up in each other in every conceivable way. They wake up still in each other’s arms, the warm morning sun painting them gold, shy smiles unable to be wiped from their faces.

Taehyung tries to memorize this very moment- Seokjin in his arms, the sparkle returning to his eyes. He looks so beautiful, and Taehyung never wants to forget it.

He never really does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3 hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! fluff is still hard to write but i think i'm getting better at it. we're about two (maybe three?) chapters away from this being finished!!! yeehaw!!  
stay tuned my darlings. :)


	7. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taehyung has somewhat of a quarter-life crisis.  
Seokjin earns his first of many victories, but not without any trouble.  
He meets some shady characters where he least expects it.  
Jisoo and Taehyung graduate, the Kim clan celebrates accordingly.  
Seokjin's timing could not be worse.  
The Kim trio goes their separate ways.

> _fading through my finger tips,_
> 
> _watching us fall._
> 
> _i try to catch you with my arms,_
> 
> _i would never take it for granted when i_
> 
> _had you in my palms_
> 
> _the end (macklemore&ryan lewis)_
> 
> * * *
> 
> _ Solaceon Town, Sinnoh _
> 
> _ 3 years ago _
> 
> * * *
> 
> They never spoke about that night- the night Seokjin’s heart lay shattered on his bedroom floor, the night Taehyung was there to pick up the pieces.
> 
> They never spoke about the following morning, either.
> 
> They probably, definitely should have discussed it, but it just... never happened.
> 
> To anyone on the outside, it would appear that the horribly intimate, tender moment they shared had been forgotten as soon as it ended.
> 
> To Taehyung and Seokjin, though, that could not be any further from the truth.
> 
> Both of them were practically haunted by the memory- how their bodies seemed to become one, the way their hearts beat loudly but together and most of all, the overwhelmingly pure love that radiated from their very souls. 
> 
> There’s no way either of them could ever forget something like that.
> 
> It felt like a dream.
> 
> And the comforting (although occasionally heartbreaking) thing about dreams is that _ they aren’t real _ . Nothing could be ruined because nothing _ really _ happened. That was probably the biggest reason why Taehyung didn’t want to talk about it.
> 
> Because when you talk about it, it becomes _ real. _When it’s _ real _ , when it’s _ tangible… _ it can be lost. It can be broken. It can _ hurt _you. And the last thing Taehyung wanted was to lose a memory so sweet, one he _ cherished.. _
> 
> So, he decided to keep the memory tucked close to his heart, safe from harm’s way.
> 
> And, for better or for worse, life continued.
> 
> * * *
> 
> It made no sense to Taehyung, how time seemed to pass more quickly every year he got older.
> 
> When he was a kid, everything felt so _ long _and he would wish that he could put everything on fast forward. You know, to get to the good stuff and grow up already. Now that he’s (legally) a real grown-up, all Taehyung wants is to press pause so he can finally take a fucking breath without an entire year passing by. He used to think his mom was full of shit when she’d say things like, “I wish I could be a kid again, it was a mistake trying to grow up so fast,” because being a grown-up seemed _ so _much cooler than being a kid. Now that he himself has grown up, though, he finds himself thinking the very same thing.
> 
> It feels like just yesterday he was celebrating his tenth birthday, then he blew out the candles and suddenly he’s eighteen years old and about to start his senior year.
> 
> Taehyung always dreamt of how things would be when he turned eighteen, how he’d be handsome and successful and, most of all, he’d be _ happy. _And it’s not like he’s _ not _ any of those things now- his life is pretty good if he’s being honest. He has great friends, a Pokemon of his own (Jiwon finally allowed him to adopt the teddiursa at the daycare!), shit, he’s even planning on attending Jubilife University next fall.
> 
> He just thought things would be… different is all.
> 
> He couldn’t put his finger on exactly _ what _ he thought would be different or _ why _ he felt the way he did, but he knew that he wasn’t happy.It was infuriating if he was being honest, the feeling of wanting to do more, wanting to _ be _ more, and having no idea how to accomplish either of those things drove Taehyung nuts.
> 
> He felt stuck.
> 
> And horribly, horribly inadequate.
> 
> It was hard not to feel this way when Seokjin was doing such incredible things with his life, and although Taehyung knew better than to play the comparison game, he found it impossible not to.
> 
> The eldest of the Kim trio had decided to take a year off after his high school graduation to train and build his team before leaving on his journey to conquer the Sinnoh league, and the progress he had made in just two years was outstanding. His team had a couple of new additions- a meek yet powerful abra he decided to call Daeshim and a spunky swablu named Boram, much to Byeol’s delight. The pokemon meshed together perfectly despite the stark difference in both species and personality Actually, this was perhaps one of the biggest reasons behind their success as a team. Where one was lacking, the other two would make up for it. This dynamic was eerily similar to the dynamic of the Kim trio.
> 
> Within the first two months of his gap year, Seokjin had traveled to Hearthome City on his own and successfully obtained his first Gym Badge- the Relic Badge.
> 
> Seokjin was not expecting to beat Fantina with such ease, nor was she expecting to be bested by a gangly kid in his first-ever gym battle. The shock was evident on both of their faces after the dust settled,the arena silent besides the sound of their heaving breaths.That day, Seokjin gained more than just his first gym badge- he earned newfound confidence in himself as well. 
> 
> Seokjin returned home with rougher hands, tired bones, and his head held high.
> 
> Not even two months after his first trip, Seokjin had announced that he was leaving once again- but this time, he wouldn’t be alone.
> 
> This time, Moonbyul would be joining Seokjin on his journey to Veilstone. She had the same championship dreams as the eldest Kim, which brought the two even closer than they had been before. They became training partners as well as best friends, and although Taehyung was glad to see his hyung so determined and happy, he couldn’t help but feel as though he’d been replaced.
> 
> The trip to Veilstone was a lot longer than the one to Hearthome, getting there took just over a week. The wild Pokemon they encountered were a lot tougher, and so were the trainers they met along the way. Moonbyul and Seokjin spent their nights in hastily-made secret bases, sharing stories and rations as they healed both themselves and their Pokemon to the best of their ability.
> 
> When they finally made it to Veilstone, they wasted no time finding the city’s Pokemon Center to properly rest their tired bones. Unbeknownst to the general public, Pokemon Centers double as hostels for traveling trainers and their teams- an effort made in hopes to reduce the steadily rising number of trainer casualties that plagued the Sinnoh region.
> 
> After a full day’s rest, the duo decided they were ready to take on the Veilstone City gym.
> 
> Seokjin would never admit it to anyone in fear it would ruin his humble persona, but he was certain he would obtain the Cobble Badge as easily as he did the Relic Badge. Upon meeting the gym leader for the first time, though, he realized that this badge was going to be a little more difficult to snag.
> 
> Suga, the Veilstone gym leader, was intimidating at best and terrifying at worst. He wasn’t a _ large _ man by any means- actually, he was quite the opposite. He was fine-framed and pretty-faced, a tousled mess of silver hair atop his head. He looked almost… ethereal, until you met his piercing gaze. If looks could kill, Seokjin would be dead in a ditch in Veilstone City.
> 
> Suga’s taste in pokemon matched his looks perfectly. He seemed to favor dark-types as well as ice-types, his Sneasel and Absol a lethal combo in the way they seemed to compliment each other. Daeshim and Boram were at a disadvantage based on the type match-up alone, and when Seokjin saw how Suga commanded his team, well, he knew he was up for a rough ride. It took him three separate tries to _ finally _ obtain the Cobble Badge, and by the time he did, both he and Moonbyul were ready to get the _ fuck _ home.
> 
> After stocking up on supplies as well as some _ beverages _ (because adding yet another badge to their collections was something to celebrate!), the duo left the city to begin their journey home, eventually finding refuge in the brush of a small forest- a perfect spot for a secret base..
> 
> Seokjin was sitting in front of the base keeping watch as Moonbyul slept when it happened. He didn’t think much of it at first when a mysterious quartet first approached him, thinking maybe they were trainers like he and Moonbyul. He even greeted them with a smile. It wasn’t until he got a good look at them that he realized something was _ definitely _ up.
> 
> Two men, two women. All dressed in black track-suits with silver trim, all with the exact same hair color- a striking teal, except for one of the men. His hair was an icy silver that looked almost… familiar.
> 
> Seokjin was barely able to process _ why _ it looked familiar when the three teal-haired trainers attacked, releasing their Pokemon from their pokeballs.
> 
> The battle itself was a blur, but he managed to defeat the three thugs in the end with very little trouble. Their Pokemon were strong, sure, but there was no bond between trainer and monster. There was no love or even mutual respect, which always results in disobedient, defiant Pokemon. He was collecting his winnings from them as they grumbled, heads hung low when he met the gaze of the silver-haired man.
> 
> He looked… _ young, _couldn’t be any older than Taehyung, Seokjin thought, and he looked almost… amused, maybe even impressed? He took another good look.
> 
> Surely enough, the silver-haired man (boy?) had a smirk on his face as he looked straight into Seokjin’s soul. Just as Seokjin was about to ask him what he was grinning at, the man promptly turned and walked away, nodding to his three teal-headed thugs who promptly began to follow him.
> 
> The quartet left without an explanation of _ why _ or _ what they wanted _, in fact, they didn’t say a word to Seokjin at all.
> 
> As they left, however, Seokjin heard one of the girls speak to the silver man.
> 
> _ “Commander Libra,” _the girl almost whimpered, 
> 
> _ “Please don’t tell Commander Pisces about this,” _
> 
> The silver-haired gentleman scoffed.
> 
> “Of course I’m telling Pisces about this, Hyejoo. That was unacceptable. First of all, you lost. Second of all, grunts do not make moves without a Commander’s orders, that’s like… fucking common sense.”
> 
> Their voices faded into the darkness, leaving Seokjin alone and afraid.
> 
> He didn’t tell anyone about what had happened that night. 
> 
> Not Moonbyul, not Jisoo, not Eunha, and definitely not Taehyung. He didn’t want to worry them, didn’t want their pity, so he put on an act. He pretended he was fine, pretended that he wasn’t terrified. He pretended like he didn’t wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat after dreaming of the silver-haired man and the way he _ stared. _He had almost everyone (including himself) convinced that nothing out of the ordinary happened and that he was still the same Seokjin as he was when he left.
> 
> Except for Taehyung, of course. Taehyung noticed something was off about his hyung the moment he saw him. It was a subtle change, so subtle that even Taehyung barely caught it, but it was definitely, undeniably there.
> 
> See, after his return, Seokjin carried himself differently. 
> 
> He was still kind and warm, and the quiet confidence was still there, but he was more… guarded. Unusually so, considering his previous trusting nature. Sometimes it even bordered on paranoia. 
> 
> Always aware of his surroundings, always silently preparing for the worst. All in all, though, besides the slight difference in demeanor and becoming easier to spook, Seokjin was still mostly the same.
> 
> He never told Taehyung and Taehyung never asked, after all, best friends tell each other everything, right?
> 
> And so fall turned to winter, then winter turned to spring, and suddenly, _ finally, _ the two younger Kims were preparing to cross the stage at their high-school graduation.
> 
> * * *
> 
> _ “Kim Jisoo, graduating with honors.” _
> 
> _ “Kim Taehyung, graduating with honors of distinction.” _
> 
> Graduation had come and gone all too quickly- a trend that was becoming quite common in Taehyung’s life. To everyone’s surprise, it went remarkably smoothly for both graduating Kims
> 
> Not Jisoo nor Taehyung had tripped crossing the stage and had collected their diplomas with grace, much to Seokjin’s displeasure. He had been hoping that at least _ one _of them would have followed in his clumsy footsteps after he face-planted at his own graduation ceremony. Nonetheless, he was incredibly, almost overwhelmingly proud of the two younger Kims and made sure they knew it by cheering so loudly that the entire audience turned to shush him.
> 
> With the ceremony over and done with, there was only one thing left on the Kim agenda: a good old-fashioned, guaranteed great-time celebration hosted by the always extravagant Kim Eunha.
> 
> The Kim trio could not wait.
> 
> Seokjin’s graduation party had been one for the history books- although those in attendance had little memory of what _ actually _ happened. All they remembered was that it was legendary, and rendezvous was sure to be no different.
> 
> After every photo was taken and the good-byes were exchanged, it was officially Party Time. Taehyung ran home leaving his mother in the dust, eager for the festivities to begin. 
> 
> He wasted no time in changing into his evening attire: a dark blue denim jacket buttoned up over nothing with a matching pair of perfectly-fitting jeans-tight where it matters, slung low on his hips. Denim on denim felt casual enough for a party, but still formal enough for the occasion.
> 
> A suit of denim is still a suit, but not a _ suit- _ suit _ , _ you know?
> 
> Taehyung tousles his hair as he takes a good look at himself in the mirror, smiling at his what he sees. He looks good and he knows it, and the devil on his shoulder is quick to tell him to _ use it to his advantage _, with a waggle of its eyebrows.
> 
> Taehyung rolls his eyes at the devil and it’s always unsolicited commentary, but he’s unable to shake the hope that _ a certain someone _ will notice him tonight- the _ certain someone _ being Seokjin.
> 
> Taehyung’s crush on his hyung hadn’t gone away, but it had become somewhat... latent much to his relief. He had almost accepted that it was a one-sided thing, that he would have to move on eventually, and was prepared to ride it out until his heart finally let go.
> 
> But, his heart wasn’t quite ready to let go yet, not tonight.
> 
> With a sigh and one final look in the mirror, Taehyung grabs a beer from his backpack before zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulders, wincing as he hears the clang of the numerous cans and bottles he had stuffed in there.
> 
> Taehyung says a quick goodbye to his mother with a kiss on her cheek and pulls on his shoes hastily before clambering out the front door.
> 
> He takes a deep breath, smiling as he feels the coolness of the evening air on his skin.
> 
> “Let’s fucking get it,” he says to nobody in particular as he finally departs for Eunha’s, cracking open his beer and sipping it.
> 
> _ A road pop _, Seokjin’s voice is clear in Taehyung’s head and it makes him smile as the beverage slips down his throat and into his gut. He feels the warmth immediately, relishing in the comfort that overtook him every time he drank. He finishes two more beers in the short trip to Eunha’s, their effects making Taehyung feel a little floaty, a little giggly, the familiar haze returning to his eyes. 
> 
> He’s tipsy when he knocks on the door and smiles dopily as Eunha opens it, a glass of wine in hand.
> 
> “Ah, Taehyung-ah!” she smiles warmly, pulling him in for a tight hug.
> 
> She pulls away and looks him up and down, pink-cheeked and glassy-eyed.
> 
> “You sure grew up, huh? Very handsome,” Eunha rambles, wine sloshing as she sways slightly. Taehyung blushes, too tipsy to come up with anything remotely smooth or charming.
> 
> “Thanks, eomma, you’re quite handsome yourself!” Taehyung’s face scrunches up in embarrassment after realizing how _ weird _ his compliment was, but Eunha lights up with laughter.
> 
> “Such a charmer, Taehyung-ah! Come on in, let’s grab you a drink,” she smiles warmly, taking Taehyung’s arm and pulling him inside.
> 
> Taehyung walks into the empty kitchen, places his backpack on the counter, and begins to rummage through it for something a little stronger than the beer he’d been sipping on when he’s interrupted by a pair of thin (yet deceivingly strong) arms wrapping around his torso.
> 
> “Taehyungie! You’re finally here!” Jisoo smiles into Taehyung’s back, squeezing him tightly. It was apparent that both Eunha and Jisoohad started drinking early, which put Taehyung at ease. He always felt somewhat _ guilty _ pre-drinking alone but at least he wasn’t the only one who did it.
> 
> “Hope you didn’t have too much fun without me, Jisoo-yah,” Taehyung chuckles, squeezing his friend back even tighter.
> 
> Jisoo giggles as they release each other, “We would _ never _ have fun without you, Tae,” she says in a fake-serious tone, patting his elbows with a smile.
> 
> “Come play beer pong, Seokjinnie-Oppa needs a partner!” 
> 
> Jisoo turns on her heels and _ literally skips _towards the door, humming happily as she does.
> 
> _ Well, Jisoo’s in for an early night. _
> 
> Taehyung chews his lip as he tries to decide between the raspberry vodka, spiced rum, or beer he brought. Even though he had just gotten there and knew he should probably pace himself, Taehyung was admittedly in the mood for some chaos. 
> 
> After all, he _ was _ celebrating a major life event. 
> 
> So, he grabs his entire bag and some soda to mix his liquor with and follows Jisoo out to the backyard where he’s greeted by not one but _ two _familiar faces.
> 
> “Well, well, _ well! _ Look who finally decided to show up!”
> 
> Taehyung would recognize that playful lilt and cheeky grin anywhere.
> 
> “It’s good to see you too, Bobby!”
> 
> Jisoo and Bobby, against all odds, had been going strong for almost two years- a feat nobody expected, the couple included. They had become somewhat of a power couple at school, even earning their own couple name: Bobsoo. It’s a ridiculous name, but Bobsoo is kind of a ridiculous couple so Taehyung supposes it all makes sense.
> 
> After greeting Seokjin with a peace sign followed by a bro-hug, Taehyung joins his hyung at the end of the table and begins filling his cups.
> 
> “Ah, we’re playing 10-cup already?” Taehyung questions, more used to the classic 8-cup format.
> 
> “Obviously. You game for it?” Seokjin is baiting him and Taehyung _ knows _ it, but he bites anyway.
> 
> “Always, hyung. Eomma Kim didn’t raise no bitch.”
> 
> Seokjin throws his head back in a cackle before suddenly going stone-faced.
> 
> “Ready to wreck these clowns, Taehyung-ah?” 
> 
> “Born ready, hyung. Let’s send them back to the circus.”
> 
> With a glare from Bobsoo and another windshield-wiper laugh from Seokjin, the first game of the night began.
> 
> * * *
> 
>   
  

> 
> After four games of beer pong (Team Bobsoo refused to lose), the group switched to flip-cup, and after flip cup came something Bobby referred to as “Rage Cage”, which proved to be extremely deadly.
> 
> It only took two rounds of Rage Cage before Team Bobsoo was forced to retire, making themselves comfy on the bathroom floor.
> 
> “God, they really _ are _ perfect together. Never thought our Jisoo-yah would find someone as wild as her,” Seokjin snickers as he closes the bathroom door, muffling the sound of Jisoo’s retching and Bobby’s drunk attempt at consoling his girlfriend.
> 
> “Bobsoo forever,” Taehyung giggles, leaning his head onto Seokjin’s shoulder as they walk into the kitchen to grab another drink. 
> 
> He knew he should probably make the switch to water, felt in his gut that things were about to get messy, but Drunk Taehyung loves nothing more than to indulge. So, Drunk Taehyung shrugs as he unscrews the cap of whatever bottle is closest and decides to let Sober Taehyung deal with the aftermath tomorrow as he pours four shots- two for him, two for Seokjin. The elder boy eyes the shots with a pained smile.
> 
> “Aish, kid. You’ll be the death of me,” Seokjin begins, picking up one of the shots.
> 
> “But, since it is your graduation night, I will humor you. Shall we toast?”
> 
> Taehyung nods in agreement with a smile and mimics his hyung, picking up a shot of his own.
> 
> “To new beginnings and adventures. I’m proud of you, Taehyung-ah. Cheers!”
> 
> The pair raise their shot glasses and clink them together before downing them, Taehyung’s head ringing. The sincerity of Seokjin’s words had more of an effect on him than the liquor did, and instead of taking them to heart, he grabs his second shot hastily and holds it up, liquid splashing down his hand.
> 
> “New beginnings and adventures, let’s get it!” he parrots, taking the second shot before Seokjin has the chance to pick up his glass. Through squinted eyes, he sees the look on the older boy’s face- dejected, with a hint of concern. Nonetheless, Seokjin takes his second shot as well, coughing after he’s done, the look on his face remaining. Seokjin purses his lips in thought, and Taehyung continues to watch him, getting lost in his thoughts once again.
> 
> Because fuck, he is so _ beautiful_. Even in his plain white t-shirt and worn-in blue jeans, his hair a little messy and cheeks a little flushed, he’s a fucking _ vision. _He’s always been this sort of other-worldly type of gorgeous, Taehyung thinks, and it never fails to baffle him how he’s still so _ affected _by him. 
> 
> Even after all this time.
> 
> Taehyung is deep in his head, so deep that he doesn’t notice the way Seokjin looks at him- full of fondness and warmth, but there’s something else there, too. Something less positive burns in the pit of his stomach, and it’s not the tequila shots he had been coerced into earlier.
> 
> It’s the burn of guilt, the feeling of keeping a secret from someone you love, and it’s driving Seokjin insane. He decides hastily and drunkenly that he’s _ sick _ of this feeling, that it’s now or never, and he speaks up.
> 
> “Taehyung-ah, s’go to the park. For old times sake, yeah?” the shots he had just taken have already gone to his head, evident from his slurred words.
> 
> The younger boy snaps out of the alcohol-induced trance he was in and looks to his hyung with a boxy grin.
> 
> “Will you push me on the swings?” he asks with a mischevious glint in his eyes.
> 
> Seokjin scoffs.
> 
> “Of course I will, you big baby. Shall we?”
> 
> Taehyung didn’t need to be told twice, walking swiftly to the door and sliding on his shoes. Seokjin follows close behind, doing the same.
> 
> “Wait! Hold on, gonna have one more shot for the road!” Taehyung’s words come out abruptly and a little loudly, causing someone to stir on the couch. He briskly saunters to the kitchen and picks up a mostly full bottle of tequila, taking a long swig before returning to the front door.
> 
> “‘Kay, hyung. Lets get it!”
> 
> Seokjin smiles, amused by how their dynamic seems to have switched completely over the years- he’s no longer the wild party-animal of the group, and Taehyung is no longer the responsible one.
> 
> “Let’s fucking get it, Taehyung-ah.”
> 
> With a quiet “woo!” from Taehyung, the two boys walk out into the night and begin their journey to the very place it all began, where they first met all those years ago:
> 
> The Solaceon park.  
  

> 
> * * *
> 
> The trip from the Kim house to the Solaceon park takes no longer than 10 minutes- on a good day, that is. On a dark night with a drunk Kim Taehyung, the travel time was doubled as he’s the type of drunk to wander, to explore.
> 
> “Taehyung-ah, come back here! Don’t want you to get lost,” Seokjin whines, earning a giggle from the younger. His heart flips a little bit, and a twist of guilt makes his stomach clench. The panic was starting to set in, and for a second, Seokjin wonders if he would be able to get away with just… _ not telling Taehyung. _The voice in his head is quick to put him in his place, however, scolding him. And he knows that he can’t get away with it, with keeping such information from his best friend. But he’s just so _ scared. _The voice in his head tells him to grow the fuck up, though, and Seokjin sighs as he tries to muster up all the courage he can.
> 
> The two boys finally, _ finally _ arrive at the park and as always, Taehyung sprints to the rickety swingset he’s always loved so much and takes a seat on _ his _swing- the second one to the left. Seokjin follows, taking a seat on _ his _swing- the one furthest to the left, still searching for the strength he needs. Seokjin _ knows _ he’s probably acting weird right now, that he’s being too quiet and too pensive, but he’s hopes and prays that Taehyung is too drunk to call him out on it.
> 
> Unfortunately for Seokjin, his hopes and prayers are no match for Kim Taehyung, the Most Perceptive Man in Sinnoh.
> 
> “Hyung, you’re being weird. Why?”
> 
> _ Fuck. _
> 
> “I have no idea what you’re talking about, I’m perfectly fine!”
> 
> Taehyung scoffs, rolling his eyes so hard Seokjin can almost hear it.
> 
> “Nope. You’re weird, why so weird? Stop being weird, hyung!”
> 
> “Say weird one more time.”
> 
> “Weird, weird, weird, Seokjinnie is being _ weird!” _
> 
> Too drunk and nervous to care about the dropped honorifics, Seokjin takes a deep breath in and holds it, looking to the sky for any sort of sign of _ what he should do_. He doesn’t find one, and lets his breath out slowly, shakily.
> 
> “Taehyung-ah, please, I just… need a minute,”
> 
> The atmosphere is growing heavier by the second, now, and Taehyung’s heart begins to beat a little quicker.
> 
> It beats a little quicker because suddenly, this moment feels _ important. _
> 
> Like, if his life was a coming-of-age movie, this would be the part where the quirky protagonist stands up for themselves or confesses to their seemingly-unattainable crush. It feels like the moment before everything changes forever. When Seokjin finally speaks up again, the feeling proves to be more of a premonition.
> 
> “I’m leaving tomorrow, Taehyung.”
> 
> _ “Oh.” _
> 
> _ Oh, fuck. _
> 
> The heaviness in the air, the tension between them, it all shatters once the words leave Seokjin’s mouth. It shatters and it turns into something _ worse, _somehow.
> 
> Taehyung feels… he feels a lot of things. He feels everything, he thinks, and it’s overwhelming for a moment. And then, it passes.
> 
> For whatever reason, be it the alcohol in his system or the love in his heart, it passes.
> 
> He’s not mad. 
> 
> He’s sad, sure, and he’s confused, but he isn’t mad. In fact, his heart swells with something close to pride, close to love.
> 
> “I’m so sorry Taehyung-ah, I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I had all week, but it was your graduation and then there was the party and I ran out of time and I’m so, so sorry,” Seokjin babbles, his voice indicative of how close to tears the eldest is. Taehyung looks at his hyung and his heart breaks.
> 
> Seokjin is sitting on the swing beside him, his legs crossed at the ankles, his hands clasped on his lap. He’s looking at the ground, a strained expression on his face, eyes glistening oh-so-slightly. The moon shines down on them, and even though his hyung looks so _ sad, _ Taehyung tries to memorize this moment. Because he looks so, so beautiful. And Taehyung is so, so in love.
> 
> “Jin-hyung, hey,” he gets up from his swing and crouches in front of Seokjin, reaching out to place his hand on his shoulder “don’t apologize, there’s nothing to be sorry for,” 
> 
> The sincerity and affection in Taehyung’s words pull a single tear from Seokjin’s eye, and it rolls down his cheek in a weirdly perfect way. Taehyung chuckles softly, bringing his hand from Seokjin’s shoulder to his cheek to brush away the tear.
> 
> “You’re incredible, hyung. I mean it, I’m so fucking excited for you,”
> 
> The alcohol coursing through Taehyung’s veins cause words to come tumbling out without any thought, “You’ve worked so hard and now you’re about to _ do _ the damn thing, don’t you _ dare _apologize,”
> 
> Seokjin says nothing, his eyes still fixed on the ground.
> 
> “Look at me, hyung,” hand still on the elder’s cheek, Taehyung tilts Seokjin’s chin so that they’re finally looking eye-to-eye and when their eyes meet, Taehyung is suddenly forcefully thrown back 13 years in the past. When honey-brown met warm chocolate, when Taehyung fell in love at first sight. 
> 
> When his life changed forever.
> 
> “I’m so proud of you, you know that right? The way you are with Byeol, with the pokemon at the daycare… you make me want to be better. You’re going to do great things, you don’t need to worry about me,”
> 
> Seokjin sniffles, looking at Taehyung through wet lashes, “I still should have told you sooner, Taehyung-ah,”
> 
> Taehyung smiles, almost sadly.
> 
> “Maybe so. But, you told me right now, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” he tries his best to keep a strong front.
> 
> “Just.... as long as you don’t forget me, hyung. You won’t forget me, right?” 
> 
> Taehyung’s voice drops into nearly a whisper, the faintest hint of insecurity present in his tone.
> 
> “I could never forget you, Taehyung.” Seokjin murmurs back and he is suddenly hyper-aware of how _ close _ they are in this moment- Taehyung’s hand still rests on his cheek, so close Seokjin can feel his warm breath on his face, and a second realization hits him out of nowhere.
> 
> He wants to kiss Taehyung.
> 
> They’re silent for a moment, and Seokjin presses his forehead to Taehyung’s, closing his eyes. Taehyung’s other hand moves to Seokjin’s knee slowly, cautiously, but he keeps it there. Seokjin’s hand moves on it’s own upon feeling the younger’s touch on his knee, finding its way to the hand on his cheek and wrapping his own fingers around Taehyung’s.
> 
> _ It’s now or never, _the voice in Seokjin’s head whispers.
> 
> And so Seokjin moves, he presses his lips to Taehyung’s, and in this moment the world stops.
> 
> Taehyung’s mind is screaming. It’s _ screaming, _ it’s _ racing, _ because holy fuck _ he is having his first kiss. _
> 
> He is having his _ first kiss _ with _ Kim Seokjin, _ his best friend that he has also been in love with his entire life_, _ in the fucking _ park where they first met._It was like something straight out of a movie.Taehyung had thought about this more times than he cared to admit- how kissing Seokjin would feel, how his lips would taste, how it would happen.
> 
> But his fantasies couldn’t hold a fucking candle to the real thing. Seokjin’s lips were soft and warm, fuller than Taehyung’s but not overwhelmingly so- they were perfect, actually. Taehyung could taste the faint sting of vodka on his breath under sweet strawberry chapstick, a surprisingly addictive and delicious combination.
> 
> It was perfect. Everything feels fucking perfect.
> 
> Until Seokjin pulls away, that is.
> 
> Because it is only when Seokjin pulls away that Taehyung comes to a horrifying, terrifying realization: he had been so caught up in his thoughts that he _ forgot to fucking kiss back. _
> 
> He looks at Seokjin, who looks _ anywhere but at Taehyung _ as he stands up, dusting the non-existent dust from his blue jeans. Taehyung catches a glimpse of his face and all he sees is devastation and embarrassment, completely missing the look of heartbreak Seokjin was trying his best to hide. Seokjin looks at the sky, clearing his throat.
> 
> “We should, ah, head back. Got an early morning tomorrow, you know?” Seokjin’s words tumble out clumsily, nervously, and all Taehyung can do is nod. He's surprisingly, irritatingly sober now, and finds himself craving a drink. Because drinking is much easier than feeling or thinking right now.
> 
> “S’go, then,” Seokjin murmurs, not waiting for Taehyung as he begins walking back home. Taehyung’s pace quickens to catch up with his hyung, hoping to have some sort of conversation on the way but is sorely disappointed. They walk home in silence, Taehyung nor Seokjin able to articulate any sort of intelligent thought or explanation for what had just happened between them.
> 
> The pair arrives at Seokjin’s first, and Taehyung prays for some sort of goodbye because _ shit, _ this is really _ goodbye, _ and his prayers are thankfully answered when Seokjin wraps his arms around him.
> 
> “I’ll miss you, Taehyung-ah.” he murmurs, giving Taehyung a squeeze.
> 
> “I’ll miss you too, Seokjin-hyung,” 
> 
> An uncomfortable silence falls between them, and although they stood no more than a foot away from each other, Taehyung felt like they were worlds apart.
> 
> Seokjin clears his throat and nods before saying a quick, “Alright. Get home safe, kiddo,” and turning to enter his house.
> 
> “Don’t be a stranger, hyung!” Taehyung calls out with a wave.
> 
> “I won’t, Tae. Promise,” Seokjin waves back before entering his home, closing the door behind him.
> 
> As the door closes, Taehyung finally _ breaks, _ silent sobs wracking his body as he stumbles home. He can't believe how badly he messed that up, how he ruined the perfect moment. The moment he'd been dreaming of for as long as he can remember.
> 
> He wakes up the next afternoon in his pajamas and in his bed- not on the bathroom floor or the couch, much to his relief. Sitting up in his bed, Taehyung groans. 
> 
> _ Can you die from a hangover? _He grumbles to himself, flopping back down onto his back as he combs through his memories from the night before. It doesn’t take him long before he remembers what had happened between him and Seokjin at the park, and it takes him even less time to bolt out of bed, throw on some sweatpants, and run to Eunha’s house.
> 
> He knocks on the door frantically, although he knew he was likely too late.
> 
> “Taehyung, honey? How are you feeling?” Eunha’s voice is warm, but Taehyung isn’t here for such small talk.
> 
> “Terrible, Eomma Kim. Is Seokjin home?” 
> 
> Eunha’s brow furrows as she cocks her head to the side.
> 
> “No, honey, he left on his trip this morning. Didn’t he tell you?”
> 
> Taehyung’s heart drops although he saw it coming from miles away.
> 
> “Oh, yeah, I guess he did. Forgot. About that.” Taehyung may still be a little drunk as he stumbles over his words and turns on wobbly legs before Eunha has a chance to answer, retreating to his home. Finally, when he reaches his bed, he lets himself cry, just for a little bit, before cracking open an abandoned beer sitting under his bed.
> 
> After finishing his beer, he picks up his PokeNav and dials Jisoo’s number.
> 
> “Taehyung-ie? What’s up?”
> 
> “Jisoo, can we meet up? I really need to talk to you.”
> 
> “Of course, Tae. Meet at the park in 10?”
> 
> “Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you there.”
> 
> Taehyung ended up telling Jisoo everything that day- from the day they all met right up to the last time Taehyung saw Seokjin the night before. He spared no detail, and although she didn’t seem _ surprised, _she was very empathetic. Jisoo listened to Taehyung wax poetic about her cousin, held him as he cried and wiped his tears while rubbing his back.
> 
> “D’you think he’ll forget me, Jisoo-yah?”
> 
> “Oh, Taehyung-ie. He couldn’t forget you if he tried.”
> 
> She was right, of course.
> 
> However, Taehyung was none the wiser. He hadn’t heard from Seokjin all summer leading Taehyung to believe that he had ruined everything the night they kissed- something that should have been one of the best nights of his life was now the night that caused him to lose someone he loved. All because he forgot to kiss back and was too scared to tell him how he felt.
> 
> Seokjin was also beating himself up over that night. He had acted on instinct, on the hope that he could _ have him _ , and he had fucked up a 13-year friendship because of his impulsivity- or at least, that’s what he _ thought. _Out of embarrassment and fear of rejection, he never sent a single text nor did he make a single phone call. Neither did Taehyung, for the exact same reasons.
> 
> So, the two boys fell out of touch as the world continued to turn- Taehyung went to college in Jubilife, Jisoo took a year off to work, and Seokjin quietly continued to dominate the Sinnoh league.
> 
> Taehyung hurt. He hurt so badly he thought he would die- losing Seokjin was like losing a piece of him he didn’t know how to live without.
> 
> And so he’d drink, drink, drink until his memory would go black. He’d stumble out of bars and into bed with strangers, then miraculously find his way back to his dorm and call Wheein crying, wake up the next morning pretending nothing happened, and then the cycle would repeat. It was vicious, but somewhere along the way, the hurt turns into numbness and he’s able to breathe again without aching.
> 
> He wasn’t okay, not yet, but at least he didn’t hurt. He was numb, and numb and fine are the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, this song. i love it so much, specifically the budo remix.  
i think it fits the mood for this chapter perfectly, don't you?  
hopefully there aren't too many mistakes. this chapter was surprisingly difficult to write?  
please feel free to leave a comment or a kudos.  
or drop by my twitter if you're so inclined <3
> 
> i can't believe we're almost at the end, only one chapter left.  
i hope i made you fall in love with this pairing (plus jisoo, i didn't expect to grow so attached to her character lol) as much as i did.  
this is the first installment of a series i've been planning, so look forward to that!  
next up is either namseok @ college or team galactic yoonmin. 
> 
> as always, thank you SO much for reading. it really means the world to me that people are enjoying this.  
love always,  
mads <3


	8. i love you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years after Seokjin left, Taehyung is still trying to pick up the pieces that left with him.  
Wheein is concerned. Taehyung is /fine/ (read: definitely not fine at all).  
He finds himself in an unfamiliar place, where he sees an all-too-familiar face.  
History is made, and Taehyung receives some very unexpected news.

> _baby won't you take it back,_
> 
> _say you were trying to make me laugh,_
> 
> _and nothing has to change today._
> 
> _you didn't mean to say_
> 
> _i love you_
> 
> _i love you (billie eilish)_

* * *

_ Jubilife City, Sinnoh _

_ Present-day _

* * *

Three years.

Three whole _ years _ had come and gone since he had seen Kim Seokjin, almost to the very day. No texts, no phone calls, no carrier pidgey with a letter clasped in its talons. 

Taehyung felt _ sick. _ He felt incomplete and lost, although considerably less so than he had at the beginning. 

Losing Seokjin was like losing a leg. It was like his home had been destroyed in a fire. It was like losing _ everything. _

And instead of learning to walk again, instead of rebuilding, instead of moving on, Taehyung let his grief take over and refused any help out of the abyss he had fallen into. He was drinking almost every night, he skipped his classes, he even took up smoking.

”_ If only he could see me now,” _he’d laugh bitterly into the dark night, noxious smoke billowing out from his mouth like dragons breath. 

Taehyung’s new habits developed in hopes of finally feeling something other than nothing. They were also unconscious cries for help, and to Taehyung’s delight, extremely easy to brush off.

His drinking and smoking could easily be blamed on the culture of Jubilife University, plus he was still passing his classes with flying colors- so where exactly was the problem?. As far as anyone was concerned, he was _ fine. _

On the surface, everything_ was fine. Inside_, he was _numb. _

And as the saying goes, numb and fine are the same.

If you looked past the emotional turmoil and subconscious distress, Taehyung’s life was going remarkably well- Wheein had ended up moving to Jubilife and the two friends found a nice duplex to rent, he was able to attend the Jubilife Trainer’s School to hone his skills as a trainer, he had even gotten a paid internship at the Poketch Company- a new, relatively small tech start-up with a lot of promise. 

On paper, Taehyung was _thriving. _

This is what frustrated him the most about how he was feeling, the fact that he _should _ be happy but he just can’t seem to _ feel _at all. 

_ “It’s okay to let yourself grieve, Taehyung,” _

_ “Wheein, I’m fine, I promise. I’m just stuck in a rut is all,” _

It was a conversation Taehyung and Wheein seemed to have every other week after one of Taehyung’s breakdown-benders, and to Wheein's disappointment, it was a conversation that never went anywhere.

She cared for Taehyung, desperately wanted to help and heal him, but she could never actually pierce the thick shell he had developed around him.

It took close to one hundred failed attempts until Wheein finally learned that there’s no use trying to force someone to accept your help, no matter how hard you try, no matter how it hurts.

Eventually, being helpless stopped troubling her and she became numb. Just like Taehyung.

She would still hold him through the tears and hangover-tremors, stroke his hair as his head lay in her lap when they’d binge old dramas, she still _ cared _about him after all.

She just… didn’t lose sleep over it anymore. 

Except, of course, on the particularly _ bad _ nights.

Particularly bad nights such as this one. 

After years of being each other’s person, Wheein had become especially perceptive to Taehyung’s subtle tells- like how his left eyebrow twitches when he’s anxious or how when he lies, he’ll try to stare right into your soul.

And of course, how he’s extra reckless when he’s so deep in the abyss of depression he stops caring about consequences. 

Wheein just wishes his demons would have _ waited _before dragging him down to hell with them. Their landlord had told them the week before that the other half of their duplex would finally be occupied, and to give their new neighbors- a single mother and her son, a warm welcome. And that their move-in day was Friday. 

Today is Thursday, and Taehyung is currently scheduled for an impromptu blackout.

Normally Wheein would have been happy to be the one to reach out to their neighbors, but of _ course _ she had a full day of auditions the one time she _ really _ needed to be home. 

To say she’s a little concerned would be a great understatement. She’s already been thinking about what kind of cookies to bake for their new neighbors as a peace offering just in case.

With a sigh, Wheein pulls her PokeNav from her pocket and checks her messages: one from Hyejin, one from Byul-unnie, none from Taehyung. She clicks on her and Taehyung’s text thread anyways.

  
  


**Wheein**

_ Taehyungie _

_ (4:15pm) delivered _

_ Taehyungie?????? _

_(4:20pm) delivered_

_ Answer me clown boy!!! _

_(4:21pm) delivered_

_ Tae _

_(4:22pm) delivered_

_ Tae. _

_(4:23pm) delivered _

_ Taehyung!!!! _

_(4:25pm) delivered_

_ Fuck are you okay _

_ (4:25pm) delivered _

_ Please tell me you’re alive and safe _

_ (4:26pm) delivered _

_ Or i’ll call the COPS _

_ (4:26pm) delivered _

> **taehyungie<333best roomie ever**
> 
> _ I am alive _
> 
> _(5:00pm) delivered_
> 
> _ :)dont worry wheei,n im safw _
> 
> _ (5:01pm) read _

**Wheein **

_ Okay make good choices _

_ (5:15pm) delivered _

_ Our new neighbors move in tomorrow remember _

_(5:16pm) delivered_

_ Don’t forget you promised to help them _

_ (5:17pm) delivered _

_ Drink some water. I’ll be up late watching the battle if you need me _

_ (5:20pm) delivered _

_ Love you Taehyungie, keep me updated with your night ok? _

_ (5:25pm) delivered _

_ <3333 _

_ (5:30pm) read _

  
  


It had been a couple of hours since her last text and although she wasn’t expecting a response, she was still a little disappointed. 

Wheein exhales deeply as she plops herself down on the couch and searches for the TV remote, a pleased noise escaping her mouth as she finds it. She turns on the TV and begins flipping through the channels until she finds the one she was looking for- the Victory Channel. 

Wheein wasn’t too invested in the Pokemon League, truth be told. She never kept up with the newest, hottest trainers and she surely didn’t watch the Elite Four battles when they aired- but tonight, tonight was different.

Tonight, history was about to be made. 

Because a trainer had _finally _gotten past one of the toughest Elite Four groups in the league’s history and was set to face Cynthia- the only champion whose reign had lasted an entire decade.

There was no way Wheein was going to miss this battle.

She looks at her PokeNav one last time before turning it face-down on the couch, frowning.

Still no response from Taehyung.

Her stomach begins to twist, and she suddenly gets the eeriest feeling that something _big _was going to happen tonight.

Wheein had no idea how right she was about to be.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Taehyung sits at the bar alone, fiddling with the label of his empty beer. He's anxious- and slightly upset at himself for picking the _ one _bar in the city where he wasn’t on a first-name basis with the bartenders.

“Want another?” asks a bartender- he’s handsome, Taehyung decides, subconsciously allowing his tongue to flick out over his bottom lip. The bartender notices, flushing a dark pink. _ Cute. _

“Please,” Taehyung responds with a smile and a wink..

A part of him feels bad for flirting with the guy as Taehyung has _no _intention of bringing anyone home, especially not on a night like tonight.

Tonight, he has plans.

You see, unlike his dear roommate Wheein, Taehyung was _horribly _invested in the Pokemon League, he never missed a battle when they aired. This was, of course, all Seokjin’s fault. The man had taken up a significant portion of Taehyung’s head for the past 16 years, and there were no signs of that stopping any time soon.

Taehyung had watched his hyung absolutely _decimate _ the Elite Four with little to no trouble, and although he would never admit it, Taehyung had been a little turned on watching it.

Even on a TV screen, Seokjin was gorgeous. He had grown up a lot in the three years since Taehyung had last seen him- his shoulders broad, his cheekbones chiseled, his lips still plush and in a permanent pout. It was _ absurd _ how handsome this man was, and had always been.i

Seokjin’s team looked amazing too, all fully evolved and more powerful than even Taehyung had anticipated_. _

Byeol was now a gorgeous Sylveon, Daeshim a confident-looking Alakazam, and Boram now an Altaria although she resembled more of a cloud than anything else. There were some new additions Taehyung hadn’t know about as well- a Dragonite, an Arcanine, and a fucking _ Wailord, _ for god’s sake.

The team looked to be extremely well-rounded and comfortable with each other too, judging by the way they worked together for each of their victories leading up to the championship match.

It hadn’t been long after Seokjin’s fourth and final win that Taehyung decided he would watch the championship match from a barstool, and that he would not hold back at all.

As proud as he was of his beloved hyung, he couldn’t help but hurt seeing all of his successes. After all, Seokjin looked fine, even looked _ happy, _ and Taehyung seemed to be doing the complete opposite. 

It felt as if he was nothing to the older boy, that he wasn’t torn up over losing Taehyung at all.

Naturally, this made him want to drink.

So, here he sits, now three drinks deep as the championship match is about to begin.

The bar is starting to fill quickly as the announcers give a recap on the past few days, clips of Seokjin and his pokemon in battle playing in the background. Taehyung exhales slowly, slightly shakily, as he fixes his eyes on the screen above the bar.

His first opponent was Kim Kibum, a bug and grass-type specialist. Seokjin had little trouble taking down the elder’s team, only having to revive one of his pokemon- his Wailord, who had been sent out by mistake.

The second trainer in the Elite Four went by the name G-Dragon, and he surprisingly favored flying-types over dragons. G-Dragon was a tougher opponent, however only slightly. Seokjin showed little struggle in commanding his team to a second win- he really made this look too easy.

Seokjin’s third challenger was a young woman named Taeyeon- a specialist in the psychic-type. This battle was a true nail-biter, as both Seokijn and his pokemon companions were beginning to tire out, becoming less and less able to hide the fact. His team took a real beating this go-around, only Byeol and Daeshim still standing after the dust had settled and Seokjin had won once again.

By the time the third battle recap was done airing, the bar had almost filled to capacity. Taehyung orders another drink, something stronger this time- a double gin on the rocks.

He sips it, face scrunching from the bitter taste of pine and juniper before he looks up to watch the last recap.

What he sees almost causes Taehyung to fall out of his chair.

The last of the Elite Four was none other than the girl he had accidentally come out to all those years ago, Seokjin’s best friend and Taehyung’s secret gay inspiration: Moonbyul.

Taehyung blinks in disbelief, confused as to how he missed such a _ huge _moment last night when he had watched it. He didn’t _think _he had blacked out last night, but he supposes that’s the whole thing with blackouts-you tend not to remember them the day after.

Taehyung shrugs to himself and fixes his eyes on the screen, eager to watch the battle.

Moonbyul is an amazing trainer, there was no way anyone could deny that. Her team is impressive, too: all dragon-types that appear to adore the young woman as much as her friends and family do. She’s dressed in a pink suit, her long, blonde hair hangs to her waist, and Taehyung can’t help but stare- she looks not only beautiful but _powerful, _too.

She greets Seokjin with a smile, her warmth radiates through the TV screen and wraps Taehyung up in a cozy hug- although that might just be the alcohol talking.

The two trainers hug on the screen before parting to walk towards their respective sides of the arena.

“Don’t go easy on me, Byul-ie!” Seokjins calls out, probably not expecting the microphone to pick his voice up despite _yelling._

“I would never dream of it, Seokjinnie!”

The bar laughs around Taehyung, who is too transfixed on the scene playing out in front of him to react.

If the battle against Taeyeon was nerve-wracking, the battle with Moonbyul was enough to send Taehyung into a cold, anxious sweat. 

Moonbyul did not hold back on her friend at all, her pokemon delivering hit after hit mercilessly as Seokjin did his best to counter. 

He seemed to be off at the beginning of the battle, but as soon as he found his footing… It was _on. _Seokjin began commanding his team in a way that mirrored Moonbyul, who struggled to keep up with his sudden change in pace.

It was a hard battle to the very bitter end, but Seokjin had done it- he had successfully beaten the Sinnoh Elite Four. This hadn’t happened in _years, _ nobody had ever made it this far. 

The two friends-turned-opponents called their tired pokemon back inside the safety of their pokeballs and immediately ran to each other. 

The entire bar lets out a deafening _ “awww,” _ as the two trainers on the screen embrace tightly and fondly. It’s an incredibly sweet moment that has even Taehyung smiling to himself. He smiles even wider when he realizes that the majority of the bar, no, the majority of the _region _are completely unaware that Moonbyul and Seokjin had been best friends their entire life, feeling like he's special for knowing such a secret.

The battle recaps finally finish and Taehyung decides to excuse himself to the bathroom before the start of the main event.

“Save my spot, would ya?” he shouts to Cute Bartender with a wink, who smiles back and nods. Taehyung trots as quick as he can through the growing crowd to the bathroom, quickly shucking his pants down as he finds a free urinal.

After he’s done his _business, _ Taehyung migrates to the bathroom sink to wash his hands and it is not until he sees himself in the mirror that he realizes how fucking _drunk _ he is. His vision is hazy, his cheeks are red, and although he still looks _good, _Taehyung can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed that he’s this intoxicated this early.

_ “Well, you may as well keep going. No point in stopping now,” _ the devil on his shoulder croons into his ear, hot breath sending a shiver down Taehyung’s spine.

“_Fuck off, demon,” _Taehyung hisses back, although he fully intends to listen to his devil’s advice.

Like, what was he supposed to do? Say no to the devil_? _

Taehyung returns to his seat just as the battle begins, a new gin and tonic waiting for him on the countertop. He nods to Cute Bartender with a smile that he’s hoping says “thanks!” and not “you need to cut me off because my liver is about to pack up and skip town!”.

He looks again to the TV above the bar, allowing himself to get lost in the battle.

The first thing Taehyung notices is what Seokjin is wearing, and his heart stutters in his chest.

He’s wearing a white t-shirt tucked into worn-in blue jeans- almost the _exact same outfit _he was wearing the night before he left. Taehyung picks up his drink, pours it down his throat hastily as he tries to stop the devil on his shoulder from screaming, _ “he wore that on PURPOSE!” _in his ear.

Cute Bartender is quick with the refill, but Taehyung is too transfixed on the screen to notice.

The alcohol Taehyung has consumed is finally catching up to him much to his dismay, so he makes the decision to switch back to beer before he fully blacks out. He even orders a water, Seokjin’s voice echoing in his head from all those years ago, _ “mix in a water, Taehyung-ah,” _it says, and it almost feels like Seokjin is right there with him.

_ Fuck. _ Taehyung is _so drunk. _

Somewhere between the first and third commercial break, Taehyung excuses himself to the bathroom once more to collect himself. The battle was probably close to being halfway done, and he could barely see the screen. 

Taehyung finds an empty toilet stall this time and sits down on the cool porcelain, taking his PokeNav from his pocket for the first time in at least 3 hours.

He has 10 unread messages.

2 from Bobby.

2 from Jisoo.

6 from Wheein.

_ Fuck. _

Taehyung clicks on him and Wheein’s text thread and tries his best to read her messages, his stomach dropping once he reads the text about his new neighbors and how he promised he’d help them settle in.

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck! How could I forget about that?!_

He knows he needs to slow down but the devil on his shoulder has a tight grip on him, and although he promises himself that he’ll try his best to shake it off he knows there’s a good chance he won’t be able to.

An eruption of cheers from outside the bathroom signal the end of a commercial break and Taehyung stumbles back to his seat.

The atmosphere in the otherwise dingy dive bar is nothing short of electric.

The place is packed with college students, the air reeks of stale alcohol, and the entire bar is buzzing.

It’s hard not to be buzzing when you’re about to watch history unfold right before your very eyes- even Taehyung’s spirits are beginning to lift.

Cute Bartender sets a beer down in front of Taehyung and he accepts it with a silent smile, much like he did the last time and Taehyung promptly loses himself in the battle once again.

Seokjin and Cynthia seemed to be a very good match in terms of skill and power, making for a very exciting match. Just when Cynthia seemed to be falling, she’d counterattack, Seokjin doing the exact same. 

The battle is captivating, and before Taehyung knows it, both Seokjin and Cynthia are on their last pokemon. 

_ “This is history in the making, folks!” the announcer shouts, unable to hide the exasperation in his voice, “Both the Champion and the fearless challenger are on their last remaining pokemon!” _

Chills run down Taehyung’s spine, and something that feels like pride swells in his chest. Because, fuck, Seokjin was about to fucking _do_ _it, _he was about to become _champion_ just like he’d been dreaming of his entire life. 

Everyone told him he shouldn’t pursue it, so many people made fun of his dreams, but he’s going to prove them wrong and achieve them. Taehyung is so proud of him, any bitterness he felt before crumbling away.

He just wishes he could be there in person, is all. He wishes he wouldn’t have fucked up so badly that night that Seokjin kissed him, wishes he would have kissed back, wishes he could go back to that very moment so he could be there for him now although he knows that such wishes are useless. He knows that he made his bed, and now he had to lay in it.

At some point, a very drunk, very annoying man approaches Taehyung and asks if he wants to place a bet on whether _ Kim Sungjin _is going to beat Cynthia. It takes everything in Taehyung to not clock the guy straight in the jaw, opting instead to keep his eyes on the screen so as not to miss anything.

He watches at Seokjin quickly uses a potion on Byeol as Cynthia stands on the opposite side of the arena with her Garchomp, her usually confident demeanor replaced with something a lot more unsure, bordering on anxious.

Seokjin and Cynthia lock eyes as they begin, and Seokjin orders Byeol to attack- which, of course, she does without hesitation.

The bar goes silent, every patron holding their breath.

And then, chaos. 

There’s screaming, there’s cheering, there’s even some crying, but Taehyung is frozen in his barstool, unable to look anywhere but the TV screen.

_ “Ladies and gentlemen, history has been made tonight!” _ the announcer shouts enthusiastically, “ _ Cynthia’s 10-year reign has been brought to an end by this small-town boy!” _

The camera pans to Cynthia and Seokjin shaking hands, the shock evident on both of their faces as they exchange words inaudible to the cameras. Taehyung’s hands are shaking, his heart threatening to beat right out of his chest. 

_Holy shit._

_ He did it. _

_ He fucking did it. _

These are the only two thoughts running through Taehyung’s head, he figures he must be in some kind of shock. 

It’s the weirdest thing, he thinks, how he’s feeling every emotion right now but is somehow still numb. Like he’s watching himself feel these things from a TV screen, like this is all a very real, very cruel dream.

He’s so _ happy _ but his arms are tinglingand- fuck, it’s too hot in this bar and he thinks he should leave before the entire world implodes, shit, no, he _ needs _ to get out because this is all _ too much, _ it’s _ too fucking much _and he can't breathe. Despite his newly onset panic attack, he finds it in him to force his legs to work, _thank god,_ and he’s about to walk away from the bar to make his escape when-

_ “Here he is, folks: Kim Seokjin, our new reigning champion! Seokjin, do you have any words you’d like to say after such a huge, historic victory?” _

  
  


Taehyung stops in his tracks when he hears the voice he’s been scared of forgetting boom over the speakers. 

The bar, once again, goes silent and Taehyung can’t decide whether the lack of noise is a good thing or not. 

As soon as he hears his hyung speak, his honey-thick voice crystal-clear through the speakers, though, his heart decides that _yes, this is a very good thing. _ Taehyung aches, the way he misses Seokjin _ hurts- _more than it ever has before. Tears prick the back of his eyes as he fixes them on the screen, tunnel-vision taking over. As far as Taehyung is concerned, he and Seokjin are the only two people in the world at this moment.

“Yes, ye-yeah I... I definitely have a few things I’d like to say,” Seokjin stutters slightly, his eyes crinkling as his face turns up in a closed-mouth smile.

The camera focuses on Seokjin only, the reporter’s hand disappears from the screen after handing over a second microphone.

Seokjin somehow looks younger than ever before, as if his grand journey hadn’t aged him a day. His eyes are as wide as the moon as he runs a hand through messy sun-faded hair, now a warm auburn instead of the almost-black color he had left home with. Seokjin looks… overwhelmed. And of course, he’d be overwhelmed. Who wouldn’t be after literally making history?

The stunned look on his face is soon replaced with a smile as he laughs softly, his features brightening immediately. 

Taehyung’s heart skips in his chest.

Seokjin takes a breath as he looks to the ceiling, letting it out in a breathy giggle before looking to the camera, suddenly composed and in control. There’s a glint in his eyes that Taehyung doesn’t quite recognize, although it does look sort of familiar. 

  
  


“First, I want to congratulate Cynthia on her historic reign as well as thank her for being the perfect opponent. Really, thank you. I will try my best to do well and carry on your legacy,” the bar applauds politely, stopping when Seokjin begins to speak again.

“Second, I want to thank my family and friends for always believing in me and helping me get here. Eomma, Jiwon-ssi, Jisoo-yah, Byul-ie… I couldn’t have done this without you guys. I hope I made you proud,” 

Taehyung’s heart drops into the pit of his stomach. _ Had he really been forgotten? _ Even after Seokjin _promised him_, fucking _promised _that he would never forget him? The tears that had formed earlier are now threatening to spill down Taehyung’s face. He feels himself breaking, cracking open, just like he had the night Seokjin left. He didn’t think that a heart could possibly shatter twice, especially since it hadn’t quite healed from the first time, but he seems to have mistaken himself once again.

Taehyung has half a mind to leave, to self-destruct again, but when he tries to move, he finds himself stuck.

Almost as if a rope had tied his limbs, keeping him from leaving. 

A voice in the back of his head that Taehyung doesn’t recognize whispers to him,

_ “Stay,” _it murmurs. And for reasons beyond his understanding, Taehyung does.

“Ah, what wonderful words from our new champion. I’m sure your family is very pro-” before the other man can finish his though, Seokjin pulls a reverse-card on the announcer’s interruption by interrupting him right back.

“… one last thing- please! Just… just one last thing, let me say one last thing,” Seokjin sounds frantic now, only relaxing when the announcer raises his hands with an apologetic look on his face.

Seokjin breathes deeply, looking straight at the camera.

Looking straight at Taehyung.

He opens his mouth to speak, and Taehyung’s mouth goes bone-dry. His ears ring. His hands shake.

  
  


_ “Taehyung-ah, hyung loves you a lot,” _

And just like that, Taehyung's entire world stops.

_to be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha, as if i could resist referencing one of my fav taejin moments hehehe.  
how are we feeling about that ending? >:D
> 
> i wanted to leave it open because although Green Gloves is done, Taehyung and Seokjin's story is definitely far from over. i love them too much.  
this chapter was really easy and enjoyable for me to write! i especially enjoyed writing from Wheein's POV. which i wasn't expecting.  
i tried to write taehyung's little panic attack as best as i could, but if it was garbage plz know that i am a baby writer and haven't mastered that quite yet :p
> 
> i just can't believe i finished an entire project, especially a multi-chaptered fic (which is part of a SERIES????) because i am the biggest aries alive and i almost always lose interest before i can finish. so, big claps for mads.
> 
> thank you so, so much for all of the comments and kudos and bookmarks, it really means the world to me that people are enjoying this weird little story i had cookin in my brain. i genuinely love hearing feedback so please don't hesitate to give me some- as long as it's constructive :p
> 
> and a big, big thank you to my dearest lana- you've helped me with this story more than you know. love u dearly! 
> 
> anyways! 
> 
> please look forward to the rest of the series, because i'm looking forward to writing it.
> 
> love always,
> 
> mads  
:) <3


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